How to cook mussels in a frying pan
Mussels in a skillet are one of the simplest ways to prepare a dish in minutes that fits perfectly into a leisurely holiday lunch, when you have fresh basil and delicious olive oil on hand, or onto a festive table, where mussels will take their place among beautiful dishes, or on a weekday, when you just want a tasty and healthy dinner. Since mussels pair well with a variety of ingredients, there are numerous recipe options: mussels in tomato sauce, mussels in cream sauce, mussels in white wine. The key is to ensure the mussels, whether fresh or frozen, are of perfect quality, and to have a bottle of dry white wine nearby, for instance.
We are accustomed to mussels being most often cooked in a skillet with garlic, olive oil, and herbs, like in Provence or Belgium. This habit should be fully embraced, and for that, we need a good skillet, good mussels (fresh or frozen), and tips from Dmitry Parikov, the brand chef of the Moscow holding Perelman People and founder of the project «Dacha.»
How to Choose Mussels
«First, you need to decide whether you want chilled or frozen mussels. If you are getting frozen ones, make sure they are in a vacuum package, and that the vacuum is intact and not compromised. The mussels should look closed and not broken. If you are getting fresh mussels, make sure all the shells are closed.
Another nuance: if you are buying mussels at the market, the shells should be fresh, glossy, and have a characteristic sea smell.»
How to Defrost Mussels
Mussels, like other seafood and fish, should be defrosted gently and slowly by moving the product from the freezer to the refrigerator and waiting until it fully defrosts. More details on gentle defrosting can be found here.
How to Clean Mussels
«It’s very simple. Mussels can either be pre-cleaned (in which case, just rinse them) or they can have seaweed attached—use a knife to remove the excess seaweed under running water.»
How to Choose a Skillet
«If you are going to cook in a skillet, it should have a thick bottom and high sides. But the most important thing is to add some love and magic to your cooking.»
How to Cook Mussels
«It’s easy. Take a skillet with a thick bottom or a large pot. If the mussels are fresh, you can simply fry them in olive oil: pour olive oil into the skillet, add garlic, and when it starts to release its aroma, add the mussels, pour in white wine, and cover with a lid. If all the mussels open under the heat, they are ready. At the end, you can add a piece of butter, parsley, and ground pepper, and mix everything. Serve with crusty bread or baguette.
If you have frozen mussels, defrost them completely first.»
