Pulling mussels from the shell

Pembrokeshire. This is a view from Stackpole Quay, a short walk away from Barafundle Bay, which reminds me...we are speaking of the sea and the wonderful things it produces --some of which you would find might in fine fettle right now.

Mussels are a good buy in March. Actually, March is a good month for British seafood generally. February, too. My rule of thumb here: NOTHING surpasses a little butter, possibly some lemon juice and perhaps some garlic with such riches.  However, I may tinker a but -- as follows. Hmm, Mussels. Could be a last meal. No, wait: that would be a whole crab, with a little melted butter to one side, to tear, limb from limb. Back to the mussels.

1. Have a big pan ready. A big wet pan. Having rinsed your mussels --I am assuming they are in the shell-- and given them a quick scrub if you deem it necessary, just chuck them in said pan. Put a lid or plate over the top. Over a moderate heat, they will steam and their shells should open up. Just a couple of minutes. If you have one which does not, it is already rather dead and needs to go in the bin. Then, add a fat slice of unsalted butter and two cloves of finely chopped butter, toss these around and cook for another couple of minutes. They are done and will be divine.
2.   Do the same two minute steam and then pull half a shell from the mussels, put a little butter and garlic on mussel in its remaining half shell and grill for a minute or two. You could also add some fine white breadcrumbs. I once ate these with a fine grating of paremsan, too.
3.   Moules Mariniere. Well, I just chuck the cleaned mussels in a deep pan, add a little butter over the heat and a couple of cloves of finely chopped garlic. Toss a couple of times and then add a decent dry white wine to cover. One that you like and would drink! Bring to a moderate heat and cook for three minutes or so, and you are done. Again, remember to discard any mussels that do not open.
4.  Mackerel. Good stuff this time of year in Blighty. I do not believe in fussing about with mackerel. Just get it gutted and cleaned, head on or off as you wish (on, in my case), sprinkle it with salt and pepper, roll it in seasoned flour and then fry it gently in a pan in a little sunflower oil or roast it a high heat. Eat with bread and butter and no fannying about with accompaniments. Now, I do quite like to use Indian spices with mackerel (top tip: if you are going to Goa, check it out -- but posssibly not at a traveller's haunt where they sell banana pancakes, if you get my point. You'll need to forage or go inland. Maybe to Paniji, the state capital?). I'd suggest rubbing the mackerel with sea salt and pepper, a little cumin powder and some turmeric, plus plenty of red chilli. It can take it. Rub it in inside and out and then roast in a little sunflower oil. The idea with fried or roasted mackerel is, importantly, to make sure the inside is succulent but that you get crisp skin. I have never in my life cooked a mackerel fillet.
5. Oh, oysters. There's something else to explore this month. Natives, I mean. The rudest kind of shellfish, somehow: need I elaborate? Remember, that it's terribly silly to swallow them straight down when raw. You need to acquire the skill of shucking without injuring yourself (an oven glove is my top tip: I'm sorry, I'm giggling now) or get a fishmonger to do it for you. Then just pull each one from the shell, chew and taste the sea. Ideally, you'd have a glass of champagne to ne side. But man, if ANYONE ever put this on for me, I'd keel over in delight. Divine. Where was I? You could add a little lime or lemon juice maybe a hunt of the original Tabasco sauce. But that's it. If you did want to cook them, they remove from the shell and give them just a couple of seconds in a hot pan so that the edges curl, perhaps trying a little of the Tabasco sauce with them. But just the tiniest little drop, mind. I don't ever want to turn them into soup or fritters. Tomorrow: more piscine adventures.

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