Live oysters, clams, and mussels are some of the sea’s greatest delicacies.  Most people already know the basics about keeping them alive and fresh once they get them home:  Easy Shellfish Storage: If you’re going to be serving your shellfish within a few days after arrival, all you really need to do is put them …

The simple, humble steamed clam or mussel is a delight either eaten by itself or used as an ingredient in dishes.  This basic technique will work with any variety of live clams or live mussels. Directions:  1. Optional: For extra flavor & color as well as a creamier texture, flour soak mussels before steaming them (how to prep …

Really more than a set of techniques then a recipe, this dish is simple to make, yet very satisfying.  It a great way to make use of leftover mussels and/or pesto sauce too. Ingredients: Dried Pasta (we used spaghetti) Live Mussels, soaked in floured water (how to prep mussels) Shallots Olive Oil 1/4 cup White Wine …

This simple dish is earthy and sweet with a hint of brine… a luxurious twist on the traditional mussels mariniere recipe. Ingredients:  (Makes 4 servings) 1 pinch Iranian Sargol Saffron Threads  (you could substitute Spanish Saffron) ½ cup White Wine 1 Shallot, Finely Chopped 1.5lb Live Mussels (live Maine mussels depicted), soaked in flour water (how to prep …

Soaking live mussels in flour water cleans out any remaining grit, plumps up their meat, accentuates the meat’s color to make it more orange, and gives them a more creamy texture. The mussels will eventually drown if left in flour water long enough, so you should only do this a few hours ahead of cooking …

Fregola sarda is a durum wheat pasta that closely resembles couscous and has been toasted.  When cooked it has just a bit of chew to it and a subtle nuttiness.  In this salad it’s blended with a creamy coconut curry sauce, tender shellfish, and finely chopped raw veggies for crunch. Ingredients:  (Makes 8 Servings) ½ quart (dry) Large Fregola …

  Mussels Mariniere (aka Moules Mariniere) is a fast and easy classic French dish that is a great way to enjoy fresh mussels without overpowering their sweet, nuanced flavor. Makes two entrée portions or four-five appetizer portions.   Ingredients: 2lbs of live Mediterranean mussels 2 garlic cloves 1/4th large yellow onion or ½ of a …

  Dungeness Crab with Clams and Mussels in Fortified Broth Comforting and full of flavor, fortified fish fumet is the perfect way to steam/simmer crab, mussels, and clams for this shellfish feast.  All the shellfish you sacrificed to fortify the fumet really pay off here, as they turn up the flavor volume on the seafood …

Fortifying fish fumet takes this already flavorful stock and makes it much more intense and delicious.  You’ll be sacrificing the shellfish in order to lend their essences to your broth, after simmering for so long they’ll be overcooked and not worth eating.  That said, this seafood ambrosia is worth all the time and effort! The …