Clean Mussels

Mussels deteriorate very quickly, so they must be cooked fresh. Once picked they shouldn’t be kept in the fridge for longer than two days. To test for freshness, try to slide the two halves of each closed mussel against each other. If they budge, then the shell is filled with mud as well as mussel – discard these. Also discard any with broken shells, and any that are already open, because they are starting to die and it’s not worth the risk of poisoning. Each mussel is distinguished by a beard, a seaweedy tuft that protrudes from the flat side. Remove this by grasping it and pulling it strongly down and out of the shell. Wash the mussels under cold running water in a colander and scrub each shell with a stiff brush – if the shells are served in the dish, they should look good and shouldn’t have any algae or debris sticking to them.