In Miami, mussels are a common ingredient in paella, but I consider myself lucky if my portion has even one mussel with its inhabitant still in the shell. Otherwise, finding mussels in the Miami area has been equally difficult – until recently. Now they are being shipped in from Canada with some regularity.
After attending two recent food presentations on sustainable aquaculture by Atlantic Canada’s seafood experts, I finally felt brave enough to try some of their mussels.
At Whole Foods Market in South Miami, I asked the fish counter employees when their mussels arrived. “Yesterday,” they replied. Anything older and I would have walked away.
Bravely I purchased a two-pound bag. It was lot less expensive than most of the other seafood in Whole Foods’ fish display. I brought them home – and my adventure began.
I selected and modified a recipe by Chef E. Michael Reidt of Area 31 Restaurant at Epic Hotel, who went to Canada to visit the Canadian seafood industry and learn from Chef Alain Bossé, Atlantic Canada’s Culinary Ambassador. Chef Bossé consults for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He came to Miami to attend the annual Americas Food and Beverage Show and Conference in 2010 and 2011, and participated in 2011 in a demonstration at Epic Hotel on preparing Atlantic Canadian seafood.
The original recipe
Atlantic Canada mussels on the half shell with blueberry maple vinaigrette served on local greens.
Mussels
1 pound mussels
½ cup white wine (sauvignon blanc or light chardonnay)
Vinaigrette
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup
½ cup wild blueberry juice
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Put mussels in a small pot. Add wine, green onions, and garlic. Cover and steam for about three to five minutes on high heat until mussels open up. Let cool and then remove the mussels from the shells. Break the shells in half and place on a serving platter.
Vinaigrette: In a bowl mix the mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, blueberry juice, and oil, and whisk until the mixture emulsifies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (For best results make the vinaigrette the day before.) Place a mussel in each half-shell, then top with vinaigrette and garnish with chopped chives and lemon peel.
Modifications: If family members don’t like or can’t eat maple syrup, substitute another sweetener. I used wildflower honey.
Fresh blueberry juice can be substituted for wild Canadian blueberry juice. With a blender you can easily make a small amount of blueberry juice.
Chef Alain Bossé suggests that the liquid that mussels cook in makes a good stock.
Note: Do not feed mussels to family members who have gout. Mussels and all shellfish are on their “do-not-eat” list.
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