Mussels

I grew up in Southern California, learning to fish off the rocks along the coastline using the abundant mussels that grew on those same rocks for bait. I’d pull a few off the rocks, crack them open and thread my hook with the soft, orange shellfish.

I had no idea mussels were fit for human consumption until I was 20 years old, a guest at a restaurant in Aix-en-Provence when my French host ordered moules gratinées. To the table came a platter filled with blue-black shells topped with a crunchy, garlicy topping. My host served me several, and I followed his example with trepidation, removing each mollusk from its shell with a fork and popping it into my mouth. They were delicious.

Soon I was to discover mussels steamed in white wine with garlic, onions and fresh thyme, and later other delicious versions including mussels steamed in beer and mussels cooked with leeks and turmeric.

A number of years ago a group of us began going to the mussel beds along Sonoma County’s Bodega Bay that are exposed at low tide and harvesting a few buckets to bring home and make a communal feast of moules marinières, served with plenty of fresh baguettes and chilled white wine.

November through March is the general season for harvesting California’s wild mussels, when the waters are their coldest. The fishery is monitored by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and an annual quarantine is imposed from May through October 31, though the quarantine period may vary. [Before heading out to collect mussels, call the CDFG Shellfish Information Line at 800.553.4133 for the most current information.]

You’ll need a California fishing license, a bucket and some sturdy gloves to pry up your harvest—up to 10 pounds per day, which is a lot of mussels. They must be truly hand-harvested: No crowbars, hoes, pickaxes, screwdrivers or other tools are permitted.

There are two types that live along the California Coast, Mytilus californianus, a large mussel, growing up to seven inches, with a blue shell, often mottled; and the bay mussel, Mytilus trossulus, which is small, two to three inches, with a blue-black shell. Both types are often crusted with barnacles, which attach themselves to the mussel’s shell.

Cleaning hand-harvested wild mussels is a bit of a job, but well worth it for the briny, super-fresh taste and for the sense of having successful foraged for your meal.

CLEANING WILD MUSHROOMS

Freshly harvested mussels will keep in a bucket of seawater up to six hours before cleaning and cooking (or refrigerating). With a wire brush or other stiff brush, scrape the shells and rinse them. Discard any that are open and don’t close when flicked with water. To remove the beard—or byssus, a collection of elastic, grass-like threads which attach mussels to hard surfaces—twist and pull on the beard. Some of it will come easily, some not. It’s OK if there some bits of beard remain. Rinse the mussels again. At this point, they can be placed back in cold, fresh water for 15 to 20 minutes, or cold seawater for up to two additional hours, to allow the mussels to release any sandy grit. Otherwise, they can be cooked as is, letting the grit fall to the bottom of the pan during cooking.