Mussels are not everyone favourite but they are a super food, a rich source of protein and rare vitamins such as Selenium, Vitamin A and Vitamin B12. Being low in saturated fat but high in Omega-3 makes mussels contribute to a healthy heart and lowers the risk of arthritis or osteoarthritis. The iron, betain and glycoaminoglycans contribute to relieving joint pains and joint stiffness and facilitates the strengthening of teeth and bones. One of my favourite advantage of eating mussels is that it improves fertility as they increase the viscosity of cervical mucus plug in women and seminal fluid in men.
The zinc and Omega-3 fatty acids can rejuvenate the skin and fight against the causes of psoriasis and eczema. The mucopolysaccharides found in mussels helps preserve the appearance of youth by aiding the elasticity of skin.
Precaution!
Mussels are healthy food but are prone to bacterial contamination. Only live mussels should be cooked, and dead mussels must go in the bin. The dead mussels are slightly open and do not close when touched. It is advisable to soak the mussels in fresh water for 20 minutes to remove sand. Use a firm brush to remove the additional sand and other debris. Wash and rinse with cold tap water and wipe them with a towel before cooking. Mussels should smell briny, like the sea, and the shells should be tightly closed. If it doesn't close when tapped, if the shells are cracked or they smell bad, don't buy them.
Garlic and Rosemary Mussels
I used 1 kg of fresh mussels bought from Morrisons. I gave them a good clean, a scrub and de-bearded the mussels in the sink. Only 2 were slightly open and I threw them. Left them in cold water for 2 minutes and gave them another rinse.
In a wide pan I heated a bit of olive oil and added the garlic, rosemary and half of chili. Add 50 ml of water and add the mussels in the pan, than put the lid on the make them steam. No need to add salt as mussels are salted by nature.
Cook for 2 minutes and add lemon juice and few dashes of white wine (Strongbow Dark Fruits works as well). Sprinkle your favourite herbs and spices and put the lid on for another minute, while shaking the pan gently. The mussels are cooked when they've opened up. Discard the ones that didn't.
Enjoy!
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