by Lucinda Davis

Created on: August 27, 2010

There are various ways to cook mussels to please the different palates. You can stew them, fry them, roast them, broil them, steam them and even pickle them. Some people eat them raw and some people enjoy turning them into pie.  I've even heard of people using them in sausage.

I'll discuss the different ways to prepare a mussel and I'll begin with how to stew them. Start with a quarter pound of butter. Melt the butter in your stewing pot.  When the butter is melted you will want to add a little salt and pepper and a small piece of your favorite cheese. Slowly pour in one pint of milk and boil the mussels for five minutes.

If you prefer fried foods and want the kids to try them then drain the mussels.  You might even want the kids to help you with this recipe. You'll need three eggs and make your own bread crumbs or you can buy a bag of bread crumbs. Beat three eggs and mix in some bread crumbs. Salt and pepper your mussels lightly and then dip each one into the egg and bread crumb mixture. Heat up some butter or frying oil and gently place the coated mussels into the frying pan.  Be careful not to splash yourself with the hot butter or oil.

Roasted mussels can be created simply by washing and wiping off the shell and placing them into a heated oven. The trick is to be sure the upper shell is facing downward so you don't lose the juice. When the shells open serve them with a pepper sauce, horseradish, or your favorite sauce. You could coat them with salt and butter and serve.

If you would like to try to pickle them you'll need a gallon of mussels, one tablespoon of salt, one tablespoon of black pepper, one tablespoon of allspice, a bit of cayenne pepper, and six blades of mace (which is the outer shell of nutmeg).  Mix all of these ingredients into a stewing pot and add the mussels.

Stew the mussels with the ingredients mentioned and then lay them flat until they cool. Put them in a jar with half of the stew juice and half vinegar. Let them sit for two days and then enjoy!  Who knew there were so many ways to cook a mussel? 

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