How To Prepare & Cook Mussels

Once popular as snacks that could be freely harvested or bought cheaply (and known as ‘poor man’s oysters’), mussels are still one of the most affordable shellfish around.

Australian mussels are called blue mussels due to their dark blue, almost black, shells. New Zealand green mussels are par-cooked before being exported to Australia to satisfy quarantine restrictions. This initial cooking means they toughen up if recooked so they aren’t a suitable alternative to blue mussels.

Blue mussels are a good alternative for clams in most recipes (see video below). They’re one of the simplest seafoods to cook and once you know how to prepare mussels you can serve them in a wide range of cuisines.

You’ll need:

blunt knife (such as a butter knife)
kitchen scissors, for removing beards from raw mussels if shucking
bowl and damp cloth, for storing if loose

Here’s how to store mussels:

Loose mussels are sold live and should be eaten as soon as possible. Increasingly however, mussels and other bivalves are sold in MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) which extends their shelf-life to a week or more (if the packaging is unopened).
Store loose mussels in a bowl covered with a damp cloth in the warmest part of the fridge (usually the crisper) for up to 24 hours.
Store packaged mussels in their packaging in the coolest part of the fridge (usually bottom shelf) and use before expiry date.

Here’s how to prepare mussels for cooking:

Bivalves that live in a sandy environment (mainly clams) need to be purged to remove the sand before cooking. Mussels grow on ropes suspended in water, so don’t contain sand and don’t need purging.
Mussel shells often have some small barnacles growing on them. Rub shells together in your hands under cold running water to remove any barnacles.
Mussel shells have fibrous threads protruding from them. This is the byssus, generally called the ‘beard’, which attaches to the ropes on which they grow. Some people debeard mussels before cooking by holding the shell closed and tugging on the ‘beard’, pulling it away from the pointy end of the shell. This tears the mussel meat and often leaves a little beard inside the shell. So I prefer the gentler approach of removing beards from cooked or shucked mussels once the shells are opened, either by gently pulling it away from the cooked meat or snipping it off with kitchen scissors.
Before cooking mussels, check all shells are closed. If some are not closed, give them 10–20 minutes out of the fridge to warm up then tap or gently squeeze them; if they don’t close after this, discard them as they are dead.

Here’s how to cook mussels:

The meat in mussels (and any bivalves) is delicate and doesn’t take long to cook. To avoid overcooking, remove each shell from the pan as soon as it opens. Return them to the pan once they’ve all opened if necessary to combine them with the sauce or cooking liquid.
There are often a few stubborn shells that don’t open when cooked and there’s a myth that says they should be discarded. This isn’t necessary as most are fine to eat. Use a blunt knife (such as a butter knife) to pry these open over the sink or a bowl (not over the other mussels). If they look and smell good, they’re fine to eat; if not, discard them. The nose knows.
Check all mussels for remaining beards, even if you removed them prior to cooking.

Here’s how to shuck mussels to serve on the half shell:

If the shell is very tightly closed, hold it firmly at the pointy end and push the two shells in opposite directions to create a gap that you can slide a blunt knife into (such as a butter knife).
Slide a blunt knife around the sides between the two shells to loosen them and cut the adductor muscle holding the shells closed.
Pry the shells apart.
Use kitchen scissors to snip off any beard attached to the meat.
Use the knife to scrape all the meat into one of the shells, setting the other aside; take care to only use intact shells and discard any fragments of broken shell.
If you break both shells of any of the mussels, scrape all of the meat into one of the reserved empty shells.
Once you’ve finished shucking, discard empty shells.

Now you know how to prepare mussels you can make tiella Barese.

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Stir-fried Clams with Chilli Jam

FAQ

Are black mussels the same as blue mussels?

Australian mussels are called blue mussels due to their dark blue shells. Because the shells are so dark they almost look black, they’re sometimes also known as black mussels.

Can New Zealand mussels be substituted for Australian blue mussels?

No. New Zealand green mussels are par-cooked before being exported to Australia to satisfy quarantine restrictions. This initial cooking means they toughen up if recooked so they aren’t a suitable alternative to blue mussels.

Do mussels need to be purged?

No. Bivalves that live in a sandy environment (mainly clams) need to be purged to remove the sand before cooking. Mussels grow on ropes suspended in water, so don’t contain sand and don’t need purging.

How to prepare mussels for cooking?

Mussels are one of the easiest seafoods to prepare. Here’s how to prepare mussels for cooking: simply rub mussel shells together in your hands under cold running water to remove any barnacles. Then they’re ready for the pot.

What's the beard on a mussel?

Mussel shells have fibrous threads protruding from them. This is the byssus, generally called the ‘beard’, which attaches to the ropes on which they grow.

Should you remove mussel beards before or after cooking?

Some people debeard mussels before cooking. This tears the mussel meat and often leaves a little beard inside the shell. So I prefer the gentler approach of removing beards from cooked mussels once the shells are opened by gently pulling it away from the cooked meat. If shucking raw mussels to serve on the half shell, use kitchen scissors to snip the beard off the opened mussel.

Should you discard mussels that don't open when cooked?

No. There are often a few stubborn shells that don’t open when cooked and there’s a myth that says they should be discarded. This isn’t necessary as most are fine to eat. Use a blunt knife (such as a butter knife) to pry these open over the sink or a bowl (not over the other mussels). If they look and smell good, they’re fine to eat; if not, discard them. The nose knows.