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Mussels in a
Summer Mood
BY DANA JACOBI
FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH |
The winter I lived in Paris,
I discovered moules frites, a popular (and cheap) meal of mussels
steamed with wine and served with French fries. Although I love
mussels, I never liked the sharply acidic flavor of the white
wine most bistro chefs used in cooking this dish. It wasnt
until a trip to Sicily, where I enjoyed mussels showered with
fresh herbs and a touch of lemon juice, that I knew I had found
an ideal way to prepare these beloved bivalves.
This fragrant dish is a delicious
surprise if wine-splashed mussels are all you have tasted. The
flavors of the herbs also make it a great summer meal. In addition,
mussels, which are high in iron, selenium and vitamin B-12, are
also a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Three ounces of cooked
mussels provide less than 150 calories and only 4 grams of fat.
Purchasing farmed mussels is
an environmentally friendly choice. Cultivated in the Prince
Edward Islands, along the New England seacoast, or cold Pacific
waters, they are sustainable seafood raised with minimal environmental
impact. Their harvesting is monitored under the auspices of The
National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP), which tests to
make sure the water is safe. To make any potential problem traceable,
this program also requires that bags of mussels be tagged with
the shippers name, location, harvest and shipping dates,
plus a certification number.
Mussels must be alive when
you cook them. As Paul Johnson explains in his award-winning
cookbook, Fish Forever, test to ensure the mussels are alive
by pressing the shells of open ones together. If they are alive,
they will react and try to close.
When you are pressed for time,
farmed mussels need only a good rinse before going into the pot;
cook them just until their shells open. Avoid overcooking mussels,
which toughens them, and discard any cooked mussels that remain
closed.

Mussels with Lemon and Herbs
- Makes 4 servings.
- 8 (1 inch) slices Italian
or French peasant bread
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 2 pounds mussels
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup fat free, reduced-sodium
chicken broth
- 1/2 cup water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive
oil
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf
parsley
- 1 Tbsp. chopped oregano leaves
Toast or grill bread. Rub each
slice with garlic clove. Discard garlic and set bread aside.
In colander, rinse mussels
well under cold running water and pull off any fibers from the
shell (known as beard). Set the mussels aside to
drain well.
Sprinkle onions over bottom
of medium-size Dutch oven or heavy pot with tight-fitting lid.
Heap mussels on top of the onions. Add broth and 1/2 cup water.
Cover pot and set over high heat until liquid boils. Reduce heat
to medium and cook until shells of mussels have opened, about
5 minutes. Pour lemon juice and olive oil over hot mussels.
With slotted spoon, transfer
mussels to 4 individual, shallow bowls. Check for any that have
not opened and discard them. Pour liquid from pot (including
onions) over mussels. Sprinkle on parsley and oregano. Serve
immediately, accompanied by garlic-rubbed bread for dipping into
broth.
Per serving: 360 calories, 10 g total fat (2 g saturated
fat), 33 g carbohydrate, 31 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 540
mg sodium.
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