From tarantina alla marinara to those who make them fried or who use them as a garnish for salads. Mussels can be cooked in the most disparate ways, both as appetizers or first courses, but also as second courses. But how to choose the tastiest or most valuable ones? What are the parameters on which to base yourself to best buy this extraordinary shellfish?
The first rule is to buy mussels whose origin is traced, and therefore those packaged in closed nets and, instead, be wary of loose ones. To check its freshness, the shell must be tightly closed, with a dal shell bright and black color, with a light and pleasant smell. Once you get home, store them immediately in the fridge, at temperatures between 3 and 6°C, so as to keep the product alive, but consume them within 24 hours of purchase at the latest.
Famous for being considered an aphrodisiac food (although without any scientific foundation), they are excellent for a low-calorie diet, thanks to their very low in fat and calories (about 85 cal per 100 grams). Rich in mineral salts, vitamins (especially C and B) and noble proteins, mussels are also widely used as a natural anti-inflammatory to protect the immune system.
Despite the different nutritional properties, mussels can also be very harmful, given that they are exposed toenvironmental pollution and absorb bacteria and marine biotoxins. For this reason we must pay close attention and avoid raw consumption. Many will remember the cholera epidemic in the 70s in Naples and the exceeding of the permitted limits of dioxin in the sea of Taranto, caused by the Ilva steelworks and the discharges from the Apulian capital. In both cases, the vehicle of transmission was the mussels.
Like many foods, these seafood are also available all year round, both fresh and frozen. According to a popular belief, however, they should not be eaten in the months that contain the letter "r" (as for oysters). This is because in February, March, April, September, October, November and December mussels reproduce and become less tasty; instead between July and August they reach their peak in terms of taste and flavour. In the rest of the year, the product found among the fishmongers' counters is not local, but probably of Spanish and Greek origin: they are immersed for short periods in Italian waters, but lose all those nutritional values that differentiate local mussels from the others .
Mussels are bivalve molluscs with a drop-shaped black shell. They can differ in size and colour: if the mollusc has a bright orange color then they are female and have a sweeter taste, while those with a duller yellow color are male.
Currently, the main farming system is a suspension on long-line systems, or poles joined together by ropes on which the mussels multiply. The strings, once full of mussels, are cut and hung vertically at least 80 cm from the bottom, in order to prevent the parasites from rising.
Loved since Ancient Rome, our country is the largest producer of these molluscs and gives us different types within the same sea, but within a few km distance. For this reason the main breeding plants are located in areas most at risk, subject to greater environmental variability but which can guarantee a product with different flavors and sapidity: from the North to the South of Italy, passing through Sardinia and the coast del Conero we find many varieties of this mollusk.
Let's see in detail the different mussels that our country gives us. We begin our journey from the Gulf of Friuli Venezia Giulia, where mussel production has exploded since the mid-50s, thanks to the arrival of around fifty Istrian families at the Villaggio del Pescatore, even producing around 60 quintals per year. year. However, the arrival of cholera in the 70s brought the sector to its knees and many mussel farmers were forced to change activities or to innovate grafting methods. The Trieste mussel is famous and stands out for its delicate flavor and sweet pulp, excellent in stew or marinara.
However, the major production of mussels is found along the coast of Romagna and covers about 80% of the Italian market. The Adriatic mussel is the queen of Emilia Romagna: from Goro to Cattolica, passing through Ravenna, Comacchio, Cervia, Cesenatico, Bellaria, Porto Garibaldi, Igea Marina, Misano Adriatico up to Rimini and Riccione. This is thanks to the excellent quality of the waters of the open sea which have offered an ideal environment for their organic development, giving a product with excellent organoleptic qualities. The juicy pulp allows you to consume these molluscs with a simple squeeze of lemon or baked with a little breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
So loved in Lombardy, so much so that an annual event is dedicated to it: the Festival of Marina di Ravenna, which this year should have held the seventh edition, but due to the epidemiological emergency and the need to maintain social distancing, they did not allow an outdoor event but a Smart edition, directly at home or at the restaurant, for don't give up on the taste of this fantastic product.
Another pearl of our country is the mussel of Scardovari (only PDO since 2015), whose production is controlled by a strict disciplinary: each stage of processing, purification and packaging involves the use of water from the Sacca di Scardovari, the marine inlet located in the southern part of the Po Delta. A type of mussel with soft flesh but with a great consistency that requires manual processing, handed down from generation to generation. It also goes very well with more rustic dishes, such as pasta and beans, a complete meal from a nutritional point of view: a combination of proteins, carbohydrates and iron.
But to compete with those from Romagna there are those from Puglia: the Taranto, Salento and the hairy mussel, in any case, here mussels are culture and tradition. In particular in Taranto, once the largest producer of mussels in the world (so much so that it was awarded the name "the black gold of Taranto"), it differs from the others for a more marked flavour, a rounded and squat shape, with a rosy pulp or a beautiful yellow, low in fat but rich in iron. Excellent with a little fresh tomato, garlic and chilli pepper, but the main dish remains the mussel au gratin, to be filled with egg and breadcrumbs or with orange and ginger.
The hairy mussel, typical of the coasts of Bari, differs in its shell covered with fairly thick hair, essential for attaching itself to the rocks or to the support poles of the enclosures. It is very difficult to find it in the markets, because it does not reproduce in farms. Its flavor is extraordinary, with a calloused but not excessively savory pulp. The decidedly stronger valves are able to contain all the mineral essences of the sea. Protagonists of the local specialty, the Bari tiella, with rice and potatoes.
We arrive at Napoli. Here too, once upon a time, mussel farming was at the center of the local economy, and even if today the production is not even close to that of the past, they are well present on the regional markets, in great demand in the Neapolitan haute cuisine. With a unique flavor, savory but sweet at the same time, they are perfect to be eaten with chickpea soup or simple spaghetti. But the spearhead remains the peppered mussels.
Instead, along the Conero you can enjoy the strong and persistent taste of wild mussels, the mussels that reproduce spontaneously and live attached to the rocks of the Marche coast, also known as "moscioli". A unique product, tasty and rich in Omega3, since 2004 included by Slow Food among its Presidia, to safeguard and enhance it. Fishermen love to eat freshly caught moscioli, without seasonings with a strong scent of the sea.
Last but not least, there are the mussels of Olbia, a completely Gallura excellence, one step away from PAT (Traditional Agri-Food Products) certification. With more than 90 years since its first production, today 40 thousand quintals are produced annually, exporting more than 60% outside the island. All thanks to the mussel farmer Raffaele Bigi, originally from Trieste, who identified Sardinian waters as the perfect environment for raising them. Like all Mediterranean mussels, the Sardinian ones also reach their best in terms of taste in the summer, when they are completely ripe.
Also in Sardinian territory, directly from the company's supply chain of excellence in the Gulf of Oristano, we find the nieddittas: one of the tastiest products that the Sardinian sea offers to true gourmets. Thanks to their full and pleasant flavour, many chefs prefer this type of mussel for its versatility, to be used not only for savory dishes but also to create original and fresh desserts, such as Nieddittas ice cream. Otherwise you can opt for a more traditional dish, such as fregola with mussels and clams. Whatever way you decide to cook them, when you taste the Nieddittas you just need to close your eyes to feel in Sardinia.
As we have seen, there are as many types of mussels as there are ways to cook them. However, it is very easy to spoil these authentic molluscs, with their strong flavour. First of all, you need to pay attention to the type: bigger is not always better, on the contrary often those of small size can be much tastier.
In any case, the fundamental step to enjoy fresh mussels in total safety is cleaning and opening the shell. We start by eliminating the broken or partially open ones because it means that the mollusk is dead and therefore full of impurities. Then you have to remove encrustations and the "beard" that comes out of the shell, squeezing the valves well to prevent it from carrying the mollusc with it. The white incrustations are called "dog's teeth" and are parasites found on rock mussels, smaller but certainly tastier. At the end we proceed with a final rinse and, at this point, they are ready to be cooked.
Cooking is also a delicate phase, you have to be careful that the mussels don't overcook until they become rubbery. The flame must be lively and as they begin to hatch, you must remove them from the fire. Cooked with pasta, soups (such as the famous Catalan one) or risotto, alone or with other shellfish, mussels offer endless possibilities in the kitchen. Just give space to your creativity.
