# Help With Smoking Mussels



## punkin (28/8/13)

Bought some mussels today and thought of hot smoking them. I had a search round the net and some do the cook in a saucpan for a cuple minutes and then hot smoke on the half shell, while others hotsmoke from raw.

I was gunna do em on the covered gas bbq that's set up to smoke with a small chip pan and some water baths.

Interested in any ideas people have for doing them for dinner tonight?


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## scon (29/8/13)

Well... SWIMBO says I've got some smokin' mussels... But I'm not sure that's what you're after.

I'd probably just smoke them in their shells to be honest. Smoking them in their half shells you'd be likely to add too much flavour...


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## Dan2 (29/8/13)

A little KY jelly, or foreplay should stop it from smoking. HTH


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## Malted (29/8/13)

How did you go punkin? What did you end up doing?

I would have thought raw half shells in the smoker/bbq would cook them pretty quickly and thus not too smoked? I am thinking mild smoke, like dried herbs. They'd probably want brining before cooking. Maybe a drizzle of vinegar/balsamic or some sort of dressing as they go into the smoker too. I have no idea but am just imagining what might be nice. Keen to hear what you did.


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## simplefisherman (29/8/13)

It's a bit fiddly but you can open the mussells green and scrape them into one half shell, then sprinkle some brown sugar & herbs/ whatever, you don't need much if any salt as the mussells have sea water in them ( if they're fresh live ones ), then smoke them hot and fast.
Recommend keeping a few out, fully remove from shell, shake in seasoned flour and quick fry in butter & oil. Virra tasty and my favourite way of eating them. I boarded for a while with a guy who worked in a mussell farm in Nelson ( NZ ) , he could have as many mussels as he wanted but reckoned he didn't like them. I got him to bring a kilo home and cooked them as above, next week it was 2kg, then 3kgs ha ha.
I go with flour, salt, pepper ( lemon pepper works too ), mixed herbs, and a pinch of curry powder. Shake up in a bag and add seafood ( fish, scallops, mussels etc ) shake up again and fry away...mmm-good
Anyways, I guess they're half digested by now ha ha , hope you enjoyed them...


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## Eggs (29/8/13)

how about mussels ecalde:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP36uAv2SYA

skip through the video, youll get the idea. I first saw it done on river cottage:


http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/20091123eclade/

Ive always meant to try it but havent had the opportunity.


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## Mercs Own (31/8/13)

Hey Punkin only just saw your post! How did it go and what did you do. There are two ways I would do it - first put your mussels on the bbq and cook gently until they open that way they cook in their own shell juice etc and then hit them with a light smoke.

or

Remove the mussel from the shell and drop the meat into some boiling salted water for about 30 - 40 seconds and then remove anddry well with a tea towel and place on a wire rack. When all the mussels are dry put the wire rack in you smoker and give them a good smoke for around 25 - 30 minutes.

Obviously the timming will all depend omn the size of the mussels - I do the second method with oyster so mussels may take longer.

I serve a thai style chilli sauce which I tip the smoked oyster into and then serve on biscuit - would work with the mussels.

look forward to hearing what you did.


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## slcmorro (31/8/13)

By and large, the absolute BEST way to smoke mussels was discovered by me, by accident. The steps are as follows.

1. Give the mussels to me.
2. Forget you ever gave me the mussels.
3. ?
4. Profit.


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## punkin (31/8/13)

Sorry guys i forgot this thread. I have done the type in the video heaps of times as a kid, we used to grab a big ball of em out of lake maquarie and throw em on some embers for a few minutes and then just pick them out of the shells.

For the bought ones last week however, after a bit of googling i ended up heating my gas grill up with water pans and some used oak bourbon sticks on foil so they were smoking. Then i put the mussels on a big sheet of foil with some lemon juice, grated rind, dill and parsley from the garden and a little chinese rice wine.

Left them a couple minutes with the lid down and then stuck them in a bowl with some more herbs, cracked pepper and lemon juice.

I ate the whole kilo.

They were nearly all shrunken little things, not sure if i over cooked them (don't think so) or if they were just dodgy farmed style mussels in the first place.

May be better later in the season.

They were pretty damn tasty though. I'll be doing it again.


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## Dan2 (31/8/13)

punkin said:


> .....They were nearly all shrunken little things....


Perhaps quickly boil just enough to open the shell, or even shuck them if you have the patience.
Then cold smoke.


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## punkin (1/9/13)

I could of done that too, i have a large jerky machine/cold smoker, but i was just trying some recipes. I'll have a try at a few different ways next time.


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## Malted (1/9/13)

Paul's post makes me want to go buy some Mussels!
However, I have not had success finding fresh, full and plump bought mussels.
Do you think if I went to a fish monger that they would shuck one open there and then so I can decide if I want to purchase some?


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## Dan2 (1/9/13)

Malted said:


> Paul's post makes me want to go buy some Mussels!
> However, I have not had success finding fresh, full and plump bought mussels.
> Do you think if I went to a fish monger that they would shuck one open there and then so I can decide if I want to purchase some?


Should do.
Think about all those asian food stalls in food courts in malls. They're all fighting to give away a taste to get a sale.
1 mussel shouldn't be a big loss.


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## Mercs Own (1/9/13)

Malted said:


> Paul's post makes me want to go buy some Mussels!
> However, I have not had success finding fresh, full and plump bought mussels.
> Do you think if I went to a fish monger that they would shuck one open there and then so I can decide if I want to purchase some?


If you consider a kilo of mussels cost about $7 I reckon getting a freebie will not be hard as long as they are selling them loose. Get down to your local fish monger get to know them and you will be able to get good mussels! They grow mussels in Port Phillip Bay which I happen to live 5 mins from. Sunday morning I can go down to Mornington and buy a kilo of mussels - straight off the boat - that were harvested the night before or even that morning - they are awesome!!!! Cant get fresher unless you pull them up yourself (done that too) - just bragging!!!!


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## Malted (1/9/13)

I couldn't help myself so I bought some mussels in brine and garlic from the supermarket. It was a rushed decision given that I had some chicken bits I was smoking today so I threw some mussels in too.




A few trimmings of dead wood from the nectarine tree with some pecan pellets. Hot smoked at 130oC for quite a while (too long).
Delicious hot but am now cooling them to enjoy later.



Proof of concept = success.


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## punkin (2/9/13)

Doing this today. Bugger it. 

I live a long way from the water nowadays, so it's vaccuum sealed "Live" (half have smashed shells) mussels from woolies.

I'll steam them open for 2-3 minute and stick em in the cold smoker with some bourbon chunks and pecan shells for an hour.


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## mwd (2/9/13)

Is it Mussel season right now.? Saw piles of NZ Green Lipped mussels in the local Coles last week. Didn't look too appetising though most of the shells were open. I always thought mussel shells had to be closed to be good until you steamed them.


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## Airgead (2/9/13)

Tropical_Brews said:


> in the local Coles last week.


There's your problem.


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## sponge (2/9/13)

My understanding is that if they're open prior to cooking, throw them.

If they're closed after cooking, throw them.


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## HBHB (2/9/13)

All I've ever done is toss them closed into the smoker, add a measure of usually hickory dust and smoke with a half burner of fuel. Usually only about 5-7 minutes. They're usually open and rarely overcooked if sober at the time. :chug:


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## rockofclay (4/9/13)

sponge said:


> My understanding is that if they're open prior to cooking, throw them.
> 
> If they're closed after cooking, throw them.


That's a myth, they open and close to breathe and remaining closed has nothing to do with being spoilt.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fscience%2Farticles%2F2008%2F10%2F29%2F2404364.htm&ei=PkEmUriPM4ewkgXX54DwAw&usg=AFQjCNFOAfOG419UPtFwt9ncdWm8sTsteA&sig2=9yg2Ivr7gvRspK9ABKBxDA&bvm=bv.51495398,d.dGI


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## punkin (4/9/13)

I just cook and eat the lot.


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## joshuahardie (5/9/13)

I was under the impression that it is not possible to import live mussels, and that all green lipped NZ ones are already cooked, or frozen raw, so that would explain why they were open.

Became addicted to the green lipped mussels on my last NZ trip. Back here, they just don't taste the same, so I prefer to go for the fresh black local ones instead



Tropical_Brews said:


> Is it Mussel season right now.? Saw piles of NZ Green Lipped mussels in the local Coles last week. Didn't look too appetising though most of the shells were open. I always thought mussel shells had to be closed to be good until you steamed them.


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## punkin (8/9/13)

Got a kilo of the little De Costi live mussels from Woolies and cooked them up last night.

First i steamed them as suggested with a little tabasco, water, cracked pepper, chinese rice wine, and a sliced garlic clove for 1.5 mins till they were just opened.
The soup that was left over from this was out of this world.

Then added dill and parsley and stuck them in some foil on a tray.





Stuck the tray in my cold smoker with some Bourbon soaked dominoes and some apple wood prunings at 37C and smoked for half an hour.




They came up a treat, still small little buggers, but juicy and smokey in just the right proportion.

A bit more dill and some more cracked pepper, i'm going to do them in beer next time before i smoke them. These would be a real party hit. Only problem is they come up cold, so i would probably turn the heat on in the main chamber next time down low and smoke them at 60C or so.





Would make a great BBQ food in the center of a table or small bowls passed around.


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