How to cook mussels on a Big Green Egg
Like a lot of people, I really love seafood. Unlike a lot of people, I love cooking seafood. For some, seafood seems very intimidating to cook but I’m here to tell you it is simple. Seafood takes on flavors really easily and it generally just takes a few minutes to cook, so it is really great when you don’t have much time. However, with all this talk, I had never cooked my own mussels before. I don’t know why as I absolutely adore them and eat them out at restaurants all the time. So, when I saw some nice looking mussels at the store the other day, I decided what the heck, I’ll cook some! Even a better idea? I’ll learn how to cook mussels on a Big Green Egg.
Let’s start at the beginning and work our way up to this amazing deliciousness!!
How to select mussels?
Selecting mussels is really not hard. In fact, most places will already have them in a bundle for you which doesn’t allow you to do much selecting anyway. However, here are the general things to look for:
- They shouldn’t really smell
- The shells should be shiny/ glossy
- They should be closed shut
- The shells should not be chipped or broken
How to prepare mussels?
Mussels are sold ‘alive’ and should be cooked ‘alive’ so that you know they are healthy. Part of the selection process above is helping you do just that. Mussels should be closed and their shell should be in tact. Any mussels that are open and don’t close back shut if you tap their shell, should be thrown away. Any mussels with a broken shell should be discarded as well.
Most mussels you buy these days have already had their beards removed. This is the hairy, seaweed stuff on one side of the shell. If the beards have not been removed or some is left, just pull on it hard pulling outward and down towards the hinge of the shell. It should pull out with some force. To get a good grip, you may want to use a towel to pull it.
Once the mussels have been inspected and debearded, then you can wash them thoroughly and wipe down their shell to remove any dirt, sand, or barnacles. Then you are ready to add some flavor!
How to make a sauce for mussels?
When you eat mussels in a restaurant, they may come many different ways – some in a broth, some in a cream sauce, some in a tomato sauce, etc, etc. Like all seafood, mussels take on flavor very easily and are great vehicles to bring tremendous tastes to your mouth. When I bought these mussels, I was thinking how I’d cook them. My favorite sauces in a restaurant are kind of a mixture between a broth and cream sauce with lots of garlic. However, I also remembered I had a jar of green curry that I bought at an international farmer’s market that I really wanted to try. What a fabulous idea!!
Green Curry Sauce – To make this sauce, I finely diced half of an onion and minced a couple of cloves of garlic. I sautéed that in a little olive oil until tender and starting to slightly caramelize. Since this was going on the Big Green Egg, I made the sauce in a cast iron skillet. Then I added about 2-3 tablespoons of the green curry sauce and about 1/2 cup of heavy cream. None of this is exact and doesn’t have to be. You just want nice flavor but not too overpowering. Green curry can be really spicy so if you don’t want too much heat, then you could use a little less.
Standard Cream Sauce for Mussels – If you want something a bit more standard, then you could do this:
- Saute 1/2 an onion or a couple of shallots with 2 cloves of minced garlic in some butter or EVOO
- Once soft and starting to caramelize, deglaze with about 1/2 a cup of white wine and let that reduce by about half
- Add about 1/2 a cup of heavy cream and simmer until it thickens slightly
How to cook mussels on a Big Green Egg?
Get your fire going for direct heat and somewhere between 350 – 400 degrees. When it is ready, add some wood chips to roll a little smoke over the mussels. They don’t take long to cook so you won’t get too much smokey flavor, just enough. Prepare your sauce in a cast iron skillet either on a stove top or on a BGE, your choice. When the sauce and fire are ready, add the cleaned mussels to the cast iron skillet, place on the egg and close the lid. After about 4-5 minutes, take a peak and see if shells are opening. Give the mussels a stir and continue to cook until all the mussels are open, generally about 1/2 inch or more wide. You don’t want to overcook them. They should be done between 5-7 minutes or so. If a few don’t open, just toss those.
Remove the mussels from the BGE, give them another stir and serve! Delicious!! These were the most tender mussels I had ever eaten!
