LOVE LOCAL T
his autumn, consider eating more mussels. T ey’re not only tasty, but they’re also fantastic from a nutritional point of view, packed full of vitamins and
minerals – including levels of folic acid and iron that can rival some red meats. T ey’re one of the most sustainable meats we can eat too, with even farmed mussels claimed by some to off er benefi ts to the marine ecosystem.
T e South West is known for the quality of its mussels – many who have grown up in Devon or Cornwall may well have harvested their own from rocks on the North Atlantic coast. But just why are the mussels that we fi nd in our neck of the woods so great? Ian Webber, Head Chef at T e Five Bells in Clyst Hydon, has the answers…
Being a Devonshire boy it pains me to say my favourite West Country mussels are from Fowey, with a close second being the River Exe.
We use both at the pub, delivered fresh fi ve days a week, as they should be eaten fresh and still be alive before cooking.
T e Fowey mussels are rope grown at sea in an area of strong current which gives them lots of nutrients, producing silt-free, large, juicy mussels, which then go through a further purifi cation process.
T e River Exe mussels are estuary grown, in the fast moving tide of the Exe. T ey tend to be slightly smaller but are also excellent as great care is taken during their innovative harvesting technique and purifi cation processes, producing a silt-free product.
T e quality of these mussels and the purifi cation processes used aſt er harvesting means they tend to be very clean, which means they don't need the old school approach of a handful of porridge oats and water to clean out the silt, which can work but tends to drown them if leſt too long or if the water is not moving.
44 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
We further check, scrub and remove their hairy beard which they use to cling to where they grow. Tap open mussels: if alive they will then close, any that don't should be discarded.
Mussels should be cooked quickly in a hot pan with a lid, using a small amount of liquid, oſt en alcohol. We use our local Berry Farm Cider, but some will use white wine. T ey should smell fresh of the sea and be cooked and open aſt er 2-3 minutes using this technique, any that don't open are probably dead and should not be eaten. If you get a bad smell when cooking, I’d throw out the contents and start again as your stomach won't like you very much if you eat a bad mussel!
My other favourite thing to do is make a classic fi sh stock substituting the fi sh bones for mussels, cooking only for 20 minutes. T is produces a great tasting stock for soups, sauces and poaching fi sh, or for cooking potatoes to accompany the dish below. Just dice the potatoes and cook in the stock, and when cooked fi nish with a chopped anise fl avoured herb, chervil, tarragon, or basil.
GURNARD WITH LIGHTLY CURRIED RIVER EXE MUSSELS, APRICOTS AND SAFFRON
This recipe takes a little eff ort to prepare, but is well worth it for the spectacular results.
FOR THE PICKLED APRICOTS:
500g dried apricots 25g cider vinegar 750g chicken, fi sh or vegetable stock Pinch of saff ron Tarragon salt
FOR THE SMOKED GARLIC MASH: 2 Maris Piper potatoes 100g milk 100g salted butter 3 cloves of smoked garlic
FOR THE MUSSELS: 100g mussels, de-bearded and all closing when tapped Rapeseed oil 1 shallot, fi nely diced Tarragon stalks A pinch of curry salt (combine 200g
SERVES 2
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