Actually, it was all in French so I can't tell you what I heard, but she got off the phone laughing and said, "Ok, looks like it wasn't my mom's recipe. ย It was my dad's and he just gave me the riot act for thinking it was hers!" ย
Having mussels this way was a huge paradigm shift for me. ย I grew up in the 70's and our cabinet was stocked with every conceivable spice bottle you could imagine. ย Yes, we even had our very own bottle of MSG and it was labeled "MSG" too. ย I remember going to an Italian restaurant and there might have been a sprig of parsley on the plate more for decoration than to eat. ย Never in a million years would I have thought to use parsley as the base for a salad, but that's what you do for this parsley mussel salad. ย
Perfect Parings
The mussels are meaty and earthy which is balanced so nicely with the brightness of the parsley. ย They enhance each other beautifully and the fresh squeeze of lemon brings it altogether and makes it sing in your mouth. ย But make sure you use the flat leaf Italian variety and not the curly kind. ย Curly parsley can be somewhat gritty and harsh. ย No Bueno.ย
ย So if you're hesitant to dive into wrangling mussels like I was, rest assured, it's not hard. ย Start with one of these recipes and you'll see how easy and delicious they are to cook. ย Soon, I'll be making a big batch of mussels in broth with a big piece of French bread. ย Thank you so much Claudie for helping me overcome my fear of these beautiful gems and sharing your recipes with me!
Parsley Mussel Salad
This is a recipe inspired from my girlfriend Claudie's home town of Marseilles, France. ย A far cry from Marseilles, IL! ย It's a great way to enjoy parsley in a new and abundant way. ย This is an easy dish that's fast to whip up. ย It's Low Carb and Gluten Free too! ย | www.lakesidetable.com
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of mussels
- a big bunch of fresh parsley
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic minced
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Equipment
- large soup pot
- medium serving bowl
- knife and chopping block
Instructions
-
Wash the mussels and discard any broken ones
-
Turn the stove on medium high and put all the mussels in a large dry soup pot, cover with a lid but leave space for the steam to escape.
-
After the pot starts to steam, steam them for 5 minutes. ย Remove from heat.
-
While the mussels are steaming, chop the parsley, mince the garlic, and cut the lemon in ยฝ.
-
Open each mussels, remove the beard, release the mussel from the shell, and put them in a bowl.
-
Gently toss the parsley and garlic into the mussels.
-
Squeeze the lemon over the parsley and mussels. ย Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes
What take the most time in this recipe, is debearding the mussels. ย If you can enlist the hands of a friend, it goes much faster and it's way more fun!
Nutrition Facts
Parsley Mussel Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 0
% Daily Value*
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Potassium 0mg0%
Vitamin A 0IU0%
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 0mg0%
Iron 0mg0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Trish Lyons says
I love muscles, but I've only ever had them steamed (in various fashions). I have never had them as a salad. Sounds delicious. Next time I see some mussels for sale, I will buy them so I can try this recipe. Thanks.
Madalaine says
Awesome! These mussels are steamed too, but then when you add all the parsley it really takes on a whole new personality.
Surya says
Beautiful and yummy presentation!