Mussels five ways
Black-shelled mussels are in their season now, one of the better — and better-priced — sources of protein for quick meals.
Buy mussels at markets or grocers that traffic in fish; turnover is key to freshness. That means specialty grocers and many Asian markets. While you may find them at larger retailers, you may safely thumbs-up or thumbs-down with a simple sniff of them: They should have no smell at all or merely a whiff of a sea breeze. (The smell test holds for most fresh fish of any sort.)
It’s likely they’ll come in a mesh bag; keep them in that, or at least loose and not in a closed sack. Store them (for a couple or three days at most) in the frig, in a bowl, covered with a wet towel or a towel wrapping ice. Do not store them in water, as if returning them home; they’ll drown and die.
To cook mussels, first clean them well with a couple good rinses in a colander and “debeard” them. A few may still have little membranes, called “beards,” with which they attached themselves to the growing poles. Pull the beard (aided, if necessary, with a paper towel or paring knife) toward the hinge end until it comes out of or away from the mussel.
A basic recipe follows, with four variations (among many possibilities; mussels are hugely transformable). We Belgians (OK, I’m just half ), for whom
mussels are the national bivalve, use a small one, once relieved of its meat, as a pincer of sorts in order to eat the remainder. It’s a neat trick that I learned from my mom.
Belgian Steamed Mussels
Serves 4 as a generous main course; or 6 as a first course; from “Everyone Eats Well in Belgium” by Ruth van Wearebeek Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large shallots or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
4-6 pounds mussels, thoroughly cleaned and bearded
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme 1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1½ cups dry white wine Directions
Melt the butter in a pot large enough to hold all the mussels over medium heat. Add the shallots and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels, sprinkle with thyme, and add the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon parsley, and a generous grinding of black pepper. Pour the white wine over the mussels and cover the pot tightly.
Bring to a boil over high heat and steam the mussels in the covered pot until they are opened. This will take from 3-6 minutes, depending on the size of the mussels. Be careful not to overcook the mussels, as this will toughen them. As soon as most of the mussels have opened, take them off the heat. Shake the pot several times to toss the mussels with the buttery vegetables. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
Spoon the hot mussels into soup plates along with some of the broth. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley just before serving.
With beer: A very Belgian turn is to replace the white wine with a strong beer such as a Trappist ale or sour gueuze.
Thai style: Omit the green herbs and celery; substitute neutral oil for the butter; add 1 clove minced garlic, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoons ground coriander and 1 cup coconut milk or cream. Dress with chiffonade of fresh basil instead of parsley.
With chorizo: Substitute neutral oil for the butter and sauté 1/2 pound chorizo meat outside its casing in the first step, also substituting red onion and 1 clove minced garlic for the shallot or yellow onion.
A la crème: Add a pinch of saffron to the first step; stir well. Immediately when the mussels are opened and the pot has had its last shake, remove them with a slotted spoon to (very) warmed serving plates or bowls. Strain the broth of most of the solids and boil it down with 1 cup heavy cream until slightly thickened. Pour equal measures over the mussels.
Typically, a restaurant sets up shop for an eat-in experience and then does delivery on the side. But the Indianapolis-based ClusterTruck, opened in Denver on Dec. 4, is flipping that model. The delivery-only Five Points restaurant was made for bringing you fresh food, fast. Each order, which could be a breakfast burrito, double cheeseburger, Pad Thai or Buffalo mac and cheese, is ready for curbside pick-up in about 21 minutes. Clustertruck. Yellowbelly Chicken
Another day, another restaurant named after a savagely violent, small, fluffy dog. The Brutal Poodle is now open in the former Overland bar space, and the Poodle isn’t messing around. The menu features something called Poodle Bites, which are amazing-sounding jalapeno cheddar corn breading and smoked sausages. Apparently poodles also do surf-and-turf rellenos.
Old Town Fort Collins needed another hotel, and now it’s getting one with The Elizabeth. Why am I telling you about a hotel in Fort Collins? Because it comes with notable food and drink in the form of Emporium Kitchen & Wine Market. Emporium is — are you ready for this? — a bar, restaurant, coffee shop, market, wine merchant, deli and ice cream shop. The multi-hybrid is now open.
We lost some good local restaurants this month: Brik on York and DJ’s Café have closed.
Brik on York, the woodfired pizza restaurant/ wine bar/live music venue that popped up on Colfax Ave. in 2015, posted a message on Facebook Sunday morning.
DJ’s Berkeley Café and DJ’s 9th Avenue Café have both shuttered. A sign on the window of the breakfast and lunch spot on Lincoln St. announced the closure and thanked customers for their support over the past 12 years.