Mussels

Know this

Farmed mussels grow on ropes, eat nothing anyone has to feed them, and filter the water they hang in. There is no more defensible animal protein in the case, and it is also the cheapest thing there. Modern farmed mussels arrive clean and mostly debearded, so the prep is a rinse and a look. Chef secret: the rule you know is backwards. Everyone repeats "throw away any that do not open" after cooking, when the real check happens before. Tap any mussel sitting open on the counter. A live one closes. That is the one you keep, and a stubborn closed one after cooking is usually just undercooked, not dangerous.

Cook

A wide pan, not a tall pot. Aromatics and a splash of wine, lid on, six to eight minutes, shaking once. Crowded in a stockpot they steam unevenly and the bottom layer overcooks.

Season

Cold months, fall through spring, when they are fattest.

Best pairings

white wine · garlic · shallot · parsley · butter · cream

Also worth trying: chorizo, saffron, tomato, fennel, chili flake, bread, leek, thyme, lemon, frites.

Recommended wine