This is a post inspired by the life-lesson story telling recipe style writing of Tamar Adler. I fell in love with her writing this summer after Taylor Gunter lent me her book, An Everlasting Meal, Cooking with Utility and Grace. I still don’t think I have found my voice in writing, so I stole her accent on this post. If you are the kind of person who pauses at sunsets, enjoys this post, and love to cook, do yourself a favor and go read her book, ASAP!
This is a story recipe of a time when we casually decided to gather and cook mussels from the ocean, having never done it before. I wrote this sounding like I know what I am doing, but I don’t. I also don’t know the legal ramification of the actions described in this blog, so use your own judgement.
Here’s something I observed: steamed mussels are easy to come by, simple to cook, and ecstatically delicious. If you find yourself near a mussels-covered pier with no more than an ounce of ambition and even less an appetite, commit to the short journey of gathering, preparing, and enjoying fresh mussels from the sea. It is a simple and delightful experience.
Many times mussels cling to rocks and piers in such vast quantities, they are practically petitioning for a relocation. In one case, I had access to a plain plastic kayak in which I took advantage of the opportunity to easily gather mussels. This was is Squamish, British Columbia where the sea smells cool and crisp. Because there were people on the pier, I bashfully paddled to the most middle and hidden column of the pier, though I am certain the mussels gathered in plain site would have been delicious as well. Large clusters came off together with about the effort it would take to pluck a berry before it ripened. Anyone who has ever picked pre-ripe berries and squinted at the sour taste knows this always requires two hands, but little strength, more technique. (The technique of picking mussels I still don’t have, but managed fine.) Once I had a large handful, I paddled back to the beach. My advice f you are gather mussels is to grab a few more before choosing a spot to prepare them. By the time the steam of the cooked meat is slipping into the sea air, you will have decided you want more than are cooked, or that you would like to share the snack in order to complete the joy of the experience. Plus, should you pick too many and decide not to cook them all, you may return them to the sea. The mussels will not be offended if their new home is near the shore. I made this mistake and in the end paddled back out for round two of steamed mussels.
I chose to scrape and separate mine with a flat rock. Cooking them free of their aquatic burden of carrying barnacles seemed a proper homage to pay, but I did not see this necessary the second time I cooked mussels this day. Regardless clean, separated mussels look tastiest. Choosing to cook only consistent size and large mussels made determining doneness easier, and I freed the youth and they continued to live in the sea.
A simple pot of boiling water is all that’s needed to make mussels tasty. Everyone should know that mussels that do not open under water should be disregarded, so let the mussels rest in cool water before boiling them to determine which are fit for the meal. Throw all your mussels in your pot, and add enough water to fill the pot one inch up. If you have garlic and salt, add some. If not, use 1/4 part sea water for boiling. Boil with the lid on for 10 or so minutes or until each of the shells have opened proudly. Each should be displaying a morsel of meat tightly hugging itself, not spread out gripping the shell walls. When I did this, my companions used a small pocket knife to cut and add a sprig of the nearest juniper looking tree to the water. when boiling. We also created a fresh green bed of these sprigs for later.
Drain the water from the mussels as soon as you are tempted to try one, and do not limit this pleasure of trying only one, if it is enjoyable. If it will enhance the pleasure of eating them to prolong tasting, stick to tasting only one. Another good option is to trust your instinct that the mussels are done and wait to enjoy the first bite when seated with other. This also builds confidence.
We drained the water then poured the mussels all at once onto a pile of greens not meant for eating. You can eat them one-by-one from the pot, but the sound of cooked shells clinking together and the salty steam rising to your nose prepares the pallet for what is coming. “Presentation is everything” is an overstatement, but certainly a pile of steamed mussels poured out onto a dish or clean rock, into a bowl, or over a pile of juniper looking sprigs is easier to smile at than a pile of steamed mussels in a pot.
When I ate these mussels with my wife and friend Brian we dipped them in butter we had melted in the warm pan just after the mussels were removed. Butter, like sunlight, is almost always welcome and this is true when adding it to mussels. You may remove the cooked mussels and simmer them in butter for one minute to finish the off, but I much prefer them dipped and eaten like popcorn. Whiskey would have been a wonderful addition, but all we had was a hoppy beer, which was nice next to the juniper taste. Crackers, cheese, and a tough dried meat break up the texture of the mussels and allow you to eat as many as your eyes want.
This recipe can be adapted for almost any sea creature that is sustainable and tasty to harvest. Probably. I’ve only ever tried it with mussels, but I have to assume steamed seafood dipped in butter pretty much always comes out winning.