Black Mussels in Fermented Lemon Butter Broth

What are Black Mussels

Black mussels are bivalve mollusks in the same class as oysters, clams, and scallops. Black mussels is a colloquial term for several different varieties of mussels and usually references the species Mytilus trossulus or Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Mussels are easily farm-raised, widely available, and are one of the most affordable types of seafood. Black mussels are usually farm raised. We can also find them wild in the cool waters along North America’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Black mussels are also native to South Africa and regions of South America.

The most impressive part about mussels is their vitamin and mineral content. Just 3 ounces of mussels contain 840% of your DV of B12, 170% DV selenium, 260% manganese, 35% DV Iron, and 15% DV copper.

What do Mussels Taste Like?

Like brine, a black mussel is salty and has a meaty, brothy flavor—the flavor pairs really well with acidic flavors from things like citrus and tomato.

Many people expect mussels to be fishy, but they are not. They are similar to oysters and clams. However, mussels are much milder and are best served with a sauce to bring out their flavor. If you enjoy shellfish, you will most likely enjoy eating a black mussel.

Seafood Mussels and Lemon Butter

In the same way red wine vinegar mignonette is perfect with oysters, the lemon butter broth in this recipe is perfect with mussels. I make the broth with fermented lemon rind, lemon juice, chicken broth, butter, parsley, and pepper.

In the recipe, you will cook down the lemon butter broth in a pan until it is reduced a bit. This step will take about ten minutes, but it is when all the flavors develop.

When you reduce the sauce, you eliminate some water content and concentrate the lemon flavor in the buttery broth.

Cooking the Black Mussel Meat

Unlike oysters, which I think are best eaten raw, mussels are the best steam-cooked. Once steam cooked, you’ll remove the mussel meat from the shells and lightly simmer it in flavorful broth or sauce.

Many sauce or broth options go well with mussels. I love this recipe so much; I can’t wait to try more variations using this recipe method.

Black Mussels in Fermented Lemon Butter Broth

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this recipe:

• 2 pounds live mussels
• butter
• shallots
• lemon juice
• chicken broth
• fresh parsley
• olive oil
• garlic
• fermented lemon rind
• red pepper flakes
• salt
• black peppers

What to Pair with This Recipe

• Rustic Rosemary Sourdough Bread
• Dutch Oven Sourdough Boule Recipe
• Sourdough Overnight Focaccia Bread From Scratch

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Black Mussels in Fermented Lemon Butter Broth

What do mussels taste like? Like brine, a black mussel is salty and has a meaty, brothy flavor. Black mussels are absolutely lovely cooked in fermented lemon butter broth. Seafood mussels are a superfood loaded with vitamins, minerals, and protein.

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• Prep: 25 minutes
• Cook: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

Mussels

• 2 pounds live mussels
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 shallots finely sliced
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon fermented lemon rind, rinsed and finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly cracked black peppers to taste
• Reserved mussel cooking liquid

Serving

• baguette
• fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Begin by cleaning the mussels, removing the beards and discarding of any with broken shells and any that don’t close when firmly tapped or squeezed.
2. Chop the parsley leaves, mix with lemon juice, garlic clove finely grated, fermented lemon rind rinsed and finely chopped, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and set the mixture aside.
3. Add 2 tablespoons butter to a large pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Finely slice the shallots.
4. Once hot, add the shallots and cook for about a minute.
5. Add the mussels water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the pan and immediately cover it with the lid. Steam-cook, occasionally shaking the pan, for 3-4 minutes or until all the shells have opened up.
6. Pass the mussels through a colander set over a bowl to collect the cooking juices.
7. Discard any mussels which still remain closed and pick the mussel meat out of the open shells.
8. Gently pull the mussel shells into 2 halves and reserve the neater halves for plating.
9. Place a frying pan over medium heat with two tablespoons of butter and gently simmer the parsley-lemon juice mixture for about a minute.
10. Add the mussel cooking juices and simmer until reduced a bit. About 7-10 minutes with stirring.
11. Add the mussel meat to the pan and toss to coat and warm through.
12. To serve, arrange the shells onto plates and carefully place the mussels back in the shells. Spoon over the sauce from the pan.
13. Top with fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Kaitlynn Fenley Author, Educator, Food Microbiologist

Kaitlynn is a food microbiologist and fermentation expert teaching people how to ferment foods and drinks at home.

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