Steamed and Dressed Spring Bay Seafoods mussels
Any of these simple dressings will enhance these sweet, plump steamed mussels. To create an elegant mussel salad; add salad herbs, crisp vegetables, noodles to the Asian dressings or potato to the Spanish vinaigrette.
To steam mussels
Arrange the mussels on a large plate and place in a steamer basket over a pot or wok of boiling water OR add 100ml of water to a large heavy based pot and bring to the boil, then add the mussels. Cook covered for 3-4 minutes or until the mussels have opened and the meat has pulled away from the shell. Prize open any unopened mussels with a knife. Keep some of the mussel stock that is left from cooking to add to the dressing. Remove the top shell and arrange the mussels in the “half-shell” on a platter, spoon on some the dressing and serve.
Spanish vinaigrette
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 40ml sherry vinegar or good quality red wine vinegar
- 100g/½ red capsicum diced
- 100g/½ green capsicum diced
- 100g/2 small ripe tomatoes seeded and diced
- 20g red onion, diced
- 15g ¼ cup chopped continental parsley
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, taste and adjust the seasoning and chill until ready to serve.
Spoon onto steamed mussels that are on the half shell.
Lemon, soy and ginger dressing
- 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon mirin or sherry
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 (15g) green shallots very finely sliced
- 40ml mussels stock
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Combine the soy, lemon, mirin, ginger, shallots and mussel stock in a small bowl.
Spoon onto steamed mussels and sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
Nam Jim – spicy lime and cucumber dressing
- ¼ cup (60ml) lime juice
- 30ml fish sauce
- 30ml palm sugar or brown sugar
- ½ (3g) small red chilli, seeded and finely diced
- 1 (15g) purple eschallot or red onion, finely diced
- ½ (45g) deseeded and diced Lebanese cucumber
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander leaves
In a small bowl mix together the lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Taste to check that the sauce is sour, sweet and salty. If not adjust with extra to balance the flavour. Stir in the chilli, eschallot, cucumber and coriander, then add 2 tablespoons of the mussels stock left from steaming.
Spoon the dressing over the steamed mussels and serve immediately.