Mussel
Mytilus edulis · Seafood
Top 10 pairings
Mussels are cheap, sustainable shellfish, glossy blue-black and farmed on ropes in cool coastal water. They strain their food from the sea, so their plump, apricot-to-cream flesh tastes vividly of it: sweet, faintly briny and savoury.
Picking a good onedrag
Just landed: shut tight, sea-cleanOff: gaping, cracked or sour
Alive and soundBuy itBuy a tagged bag. Algal toxins give no warning, and cooking or freezing won't remove them.
Tap testSlightly open, closes fully on a tap
ShellWhole, a little dry or dull
SmellMild and briny, nothing sharp