Sara Lynne's Kitchen: Mussels and Beer

I've been feeling especially homesick lately. The life I left behind in Maine when I left for college was a simple one. Summers were filled with good friends; there were amazing (but rocky) beaches almost around every corner, pan dances, Blue Hill Mountain, endless BBQs, The Blue Hill Fair...and last but not least, seafood.

Curtis Cove, East Blue Hill, Maine.

I grew up going down to Newbury Neck beach with my mom at low tide to pick mussels from the rocks, buried under all the seaweed. As soon as I could walk, I would go with her. This also happened to be around the same age I decided bathing suits were for chumps, and in my discomfort would immediately take mine off once we got to the beach, much to the horror of my father:

"Susan!! She's not wearing her bathing suit!!!"

My mom 's reply : "So?? She's 3!!"

We never paid for mussels, ever. Why pay for them when you could just pick them yourselves?? We never had to worry about pollution, or red tide or any of that stuff. It was like an easter egg hunt to me, but for FOOD. Finding a nice patch of decently sized mussels? The best thing ever!

"Mama!!! MAMAA come look!!" I would yell, scrambling over the rocks in my bare feet (And lack of bathing suit) trying not to fall from sliding around on the seaweed, or cut my feet on barnacles.

Underneath Perry's Pier, Newbury Neck Beach, Surry, Maine.

The only downside of picking them right off the beach was that they might be a bit gritty. Sometimes our family friend Perry would let us hang some in a crate off the side of his dock, and we would come back and get them the next day. Purging them gets rid of the all the grit. You still have to be careful and watch out for tiny mussel seed pearls though...it's a miracle I never broke my teeth on them!!

So, we would take them home in a 5 gallon bucket topped with seaweed to keep them moist and cool. My mom mixed it up a lot, but it was not uncommon that they would be steamed in garlic, onion, white wine, and parsley. We would eat them by themselves dipped in lots of butter, sprinkled with lemon, and maybe over pasta. Sometimes with cream...sometimes not.

But one thing's for sure...they were always delicious and I have very fond memories of growing up eating them.

Here is my take on steamed mussels. I steamed them with beer ( I used Newcastle brown), onions, garlic and chile flakes. I finished with a touch of parsley, salt and pepper, and a bit of half and half. Oh! And perhaps the most unconventional: I cooked the garlic and onions in some sweet white clover butter I had stored in the freezer that I had leftover from my previous post last weekend. The clover lent a sweetness and herbaliness reminiscent of tarragon. I suppose you could try that instead, and just toss a little bit of chopped fresh tarragon in towards the end.

I served with some baguette I had toasted, drizzled olive oil on and rubbed tomato all over.

I do not have pictures of prep...but here is an ingredients list. I did not measure...I am sorry! Measurements are approximate.

Mussels Steamed In Beer With Sweet White Clover

Serves 4 as an app, 2 for dinner.

1 1/2 pounds of fresh mussels. I will never trust frozen.

1 bottle (12oz) of beer, your choice.

1 medium onion, chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 TBSP EVOO

1 1/2 TBSP sweet white clover butter (or, just unsalted butter)

1 to 2 TBSP of freshly chopped parsley

Chile flakes to taste

A splash of half&half

S+P

GO THROUGH YOUR MUSSELS. Especially buying them at the store. If you live close to the beach, check and make sure it is safe to gather them, and see if you need a special permit. For all I know....we were picking illegally all my life...haha. It's a good thing to check in this day and age.

But seriously. Scrub all of your mussels. If any are open, or slightly open, and with a little prod do not close, TOSS. They are dead. You can remove the beard if you like. I never had a good method for doing so and would just pinch them off after cooking. If any mussels do not open while cooking, TOSS.

Nicely steaming and bubbling along!

Heat up the oil in a deepish pan. Sautée garlic and onions with S+P until soft. Add chile flakes, and taste. Once onions are soft, add a bottle of beer and all of your mussels, and cover. Once all mussels are open, add fresh parsley, sweet white clover butter (or tarragon, or what have you) and half&half, and stir to combine and heat through. Serve. Do not overcook the mussels, they can become tough.

Enjoy with some toasted crusty bread! You better not waste any of the juices!