Bivalves

It’s strange that restaurants charge a lot for mussels. While they’re delicious, they’re also easy to prepare. If we were ever strapped for time at MSF, mussels were no-brainers, figuratively as well as literally. In fact, if you see mussels served in a restaurant, you know the chef is taking it easy. That said, if I see green-lipped mussels on a menu, I’ll order them. And that said, if I see a woman’s vagina rimmed with green lipstick, I’ll ask for the check.

You can clean mussels, clams, and oysters by placing them under water and vigorously jostling them with your hands to remove exterior dirt. Drain off dirty water as needed. With the seafood fully submerged, leave under a trickle of running water for 10 or 15 minutes. The running water encourages the bivalves to “purge,” or expel sand from inside the shell. Debeard mussels and cook until the moment their shells start to open; at MSF, we steamed mussels in a flavorful cooking liquid like curry or buttery broth. Danny Bowien taught me that clams should be served steamed or boiled until barely cooked—it’s okay to stop cooking even before the shells open. You can “unlock” barely opened clams by inserting a butter knife into the slit and slicing the connective muscle holding the shells together. Do this over a bowl to save the delicious clam liquor inside. If you’re making clam chowder, set the nicely cooked clams aside, adding them back when serving to avoid overcooking.