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Raw Mussels
Appears in
By Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen and Lou Sackett
Published 2010
In North America, mussels are almost always served cooked. However, pristinely fresh cultivated mussels from coldwater sources are delicious served raw on the half-shell. Customers who enjoy raw oysters and clams may be pleasantly surprised at an offering of raw mussels.
To open raw mussels, insert a sharp, thin-bladed paring knife at the place where the beard, or hairy filament, protrudes, and draw the knife back toward the hinge. Remove the beard in its entirety, release the mussel from the bottom shell, and then replace it in the shell.