Matt Preston's 6 favourite mussels recipes for summer - News + Articles

Sep 29, 2022

His culinary peers may have other ideas, but Matt Preston makes a strong case for why mussels are set to be the next big thing in food.

On a recent food panel, the chefs were asked what the next big thing in food was – and all spruiked the continuing boom in vegetables. I didn’t want to be a contrarian – or, worse, a smug contrarian who’s written a cookbook all about vegetables – but I felt a strong pull to disagree (even if I agreed just a little bit). So you’d think I’d know better than to blurt out, “You’re all wrong. It’s mussels!”

Sure, this was rash and largely unfounded but I’ve felt for a while that mussels are set to be a big thing. They’re cheap, tastily and texturally delicious, and so easy to cook.

I paused for a gale of derision, but the face of Victorian chef Jo Barrett lit up. She said that whenever she puts mussels on the menu at her new place, Little Picket at Lorne on the Great Ocean Road, they sell like crazy. Dwayne Bourke from Jack Rabbit, which overlooks the mussel beds at Portarlington on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, nodded in agreement. I recalled meals at Nomad in Sydney and Aru in Melbourne, where mussels have also been the standout dish. Maybe I’m on to something?

Australian staples have long included mussels served Belgian-style with fries,
as part of a paella or in a marinara mix for pasta, or in a seafood soup or stew, but I think it’s time for dishes in which the mussels stand alone as the hero, a world where that Aussie paella is made with lots of chorizo and topped with loads of mussels. I say Aussie because there’s evidence (in the oldest middens found) that First Nations people have been eating mussels forever.

Cheat’s puttanesca with mussels and orecchiette

Today, cooking mussels at home is a breeze. Before you start, be sure to discard any cracked or open ones. During cooking, remove them as they open so they stay tender and don’t overcook to rubberiness; discard unopened ones. I find it quicker to debeard them (remove the hair-like fibres from their shells) after cooking. Here are my six favourite ways to pump up your mussels.

A SPIN ON MOULES MARINIÈRE

Whether you choose to steam your cleaned and rinsed mussels open with a broth of stock, wine or cider in a big-lidded pot, this French cooking technique can be the starting point for a host of different spins on mussels. For example, use stock and Asian flavourings (rather than the usual white wine and diced fennel) in your steaming broth, then finish it with coconut milk after you’ve removed all the mussels in place of cream or crème fraîche. You’ll find recipes for classic moules marinere, laksa mussels, and Paul Carmichael’s mussels with mayo and habañero sauce at delicious.com.au.

MUSSELS WITH SAUSAGE

This is my favourite iteration of the above technique but with way less liquid and
the addition of sausage meat. In a big, heavy-bottom, lidded pot, fry up crumbled pork sausage with diced onions. When the onions are soft and just catching, pour in a generous splash of white wine, some stock, a sprig of rosemary, a sprinkling of fennel seeds and the mussels. Pop on the lid, turn up the heat and, as the liquid evaporates, the mussels will open. Remove the mussels, but add more hot stock if the pot starts looking dry before they have opened. Now toss the mussels with the creamy sausage mixture (the sausage fat will emulsify with the mussel juices) and carefully pour them into a big, warmed dish. The mussels and the rosemary-scented sausage meat go brilliantly together.

SMOKED MUSSELS

Whether you smoke them on your barbecue or smoker, or buy them smoked, mussel’s hearty flavour can handle it. Nomad serves its smoked mussels with toum (Lebanese garlic sauce), espelette pepper and a fancy hash brown – it’s an inspired combination. So is frying them lightly in butter, adding lots of chives or spring onions, and pouring over creamy mashed potatoes.

SHELLED MUSSELS

Cooked mussels in their naked state are great paired with bold flavour combinations like broad beans and crispy black pudding; pan-fried chorizo with chickpeas and kale (flavoured with tomato and red capsicum); or in an Italian style with anchovies, chilli, parsley, lemon and loads of garlic.

These combos can then be stirred into rice or pasta (linguine con le cozze is an Italian classic), used in a salad or served with fresh, crusty bread for mopping. Aru’s tender mussels on toast with turmeric mayo are a posh example of just how delicious mussels like this can be.

MUSSEL RISOTTO

Take inspiration from Silvia Colloca’s saffron risotto with mussels (pictured), and start by opening your mussels in the hot stock for the risotto. Remove them and use this mussely stock to make your risotto. When the rice is almost done, stir in some mascarpone (in place of Colloca’s parmesan and butter) and garnish with the mussels and plenty of dill or parsley.

FRIED MUSSEL NUGGETS

This idea is from my favourite fishmonger, but we’ve found a way to make them extra crispy. Mix 100g rice flour, 35g plain flour, half a teaspoon each of baking powder, salt and smoked paprika. Whisk in 160ml of iced water to make a batter. Dunk the mussels into the batter and deep-fry until crispy and golden (about three minutes), taking care as the wet batter can make the oil spit. Serve these crispy mussels in a small paper cone or as the meaty, crispy star of a salad.

Find the recipe for the saffron risotto with mussels pictured above, here.