Mussels have all the theatre of oysters without the price tag. They’re sweet like scallops, but harder to overcook, and have no clammy shell grit to purge. They’re a mollusc with plenty of shell-confidence! And, with a mirepoix (a French-style base of sauteed onion, carrot and celery) under your belt, you’ll have a confidence boost too, with a classic flavour builder for midweek.
You can usually pick up a kilo of mussels for under $10, which is great bang-for-buck. A good rule of thumb is 500g of mussels per eater, as much of the weight is in the shell. They’re super sustainable, earning a “better choice” nod from Australia’s Good Fish guide, since their farming process requires no additional inputs, and can even help cleanse coastlines and waterways. They’re speedy too; you can bang out a mussel meal in as long as it takes to prepare the rest of the ingredients.
To prep a mussel, grab on to the overhanging beard and pull it around the shell towards the hinge. The beard should snap right off. You shouldn’t need to rinse too heavily in preparation for the pot, as most commercially farmed mussels are kept relatively tidy for sale, but if you do need to scrape off any stubborn barnacles you can use a vegetable scrubbing brush on them under a running tap.
Some people say “never eat a mussel that doesn’t open” but I’d use your senses before chucking – if it smells OK and looks right, give it a whirl. Mussels are sold live, so to check if they are fresh before cooking press the semi-shut shell between thumb and forefinger; if it continues to move like a soft-close drawer, you know it’s good to go.
The base in this dish is an exercise in building flavour using veg and time in the pan, as you’d expect for any soup or stew. But another advantage of mussels is that they cook so fast and release such a flavoursome broth that even if you do use water over stock, or use alternative vegetables, you’re guaranteed a good time – in next to no time. You’ll have dinner on the table as quickly as you can dice. If you have a local grocer who makes up their own raw soup veg, you’re welcome to pick up a mix to hurry things along even further. Though, I should add that a good meditative brunoise (the French word for a fine dice) is a welcome panacea for a busy head.
Alice Zaslavsky’s mirepoix mussels – recipe
Serves 4
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
25g butter
1 brown onion, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
½ fennel, finely diced (with fennel fronds for garnish)
1 medium carrot, finely diced
2 large kipfler potatoes, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
2 bay leaves
Pinch of sugar
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup (250ml) good quality vegetable stock (or water)
1 cup water
2kg mussels, cleaned and debearded
1⁄2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Crusty bread, to serve
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Heat extra virgin olive oil and butter in a large, lidded heavy-based pan on medium heat until they’re foamy and friendly.
Add in the onion, celery and fennel, pop the lid on and let the veg cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While cooking, dice the carrot and potato, then add these along with the sliced garlic, bay leaves and sugar to the pan and cook until you can smell the garlic, about three to four minutes. You want all of the vegetables to soften and smell heavenly (if they’re starting to brown, splash in a tablespoon of water and drop the heat a little).
Once everything is sufficiently softened, take off the lid, splosh in the white wine and crank the heat to cook off the alcohol and reduce the liquid by half. Add the stock and one cup of water. Cook down the liquid on a medium-high heat until the carrots and potatoes are tender but not falling apart – about 10 more minutes.
Drain the mussels of any excess juice, crank the heat, and tip the lot into the hot pan. They will instantly release more juice to make a deliciously deep and briny broth. Place the lid back on and shake the pan occasionally for four to five minutes or until all of the mussels open.
Taste the broth for seasoning and then scatter in the fresh parsley and fennel fronds and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Place into deep serving bowls and serve with crusty bread and lemon wedges.
