Debearding mussels?

[Laura]

I had some great steamed mussels in a restaurant recently and was excited to see the recipe in the Julyissue. But then I saw that I had to "debeard" the mussels. I have never heard of that term before, and frankly, it has me frightened! :-) Any helpful hints on what I am supposed to do and how to find fresh mussels would be greatly appreciated.

[Gail]

Debeard. Conjures up all sorts of interesting little mental pictures, doesn't it?
The beard is a little tuft of fibers that stick out one side of the mussel shell. Some cooks make like mollusk barbers and actually give 'em a trim with scissors, others are more like kids testing out Santa's beard, grasping the thing and yanking with a good sharp downward pull.
Insofar as shopping for them is concerned, you're looking for tightly closed, heavy critters. Since they can be muddy, you need to wash thoroughly, scrubbing them with a brush or against each other.

[Deanna]

I just give 'em a yank. They can be tough, but pull till you get it off and discard, of course.

I LOVE steamed mussels! Remember it is important, after steaming, any that have not opened should be thrown out. Don't try to pry them open to eat them!!

[Laura M]

Thanks for the info (note I am Laura M at work and Laura at home). I am looking forward to trying them soon. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Deanna]

Laura...just curious...why do you have different Usernames for home and work?

Only wondering!

[Laura M]

Okay. Hmmm... this is somewhat embarrassing, but I assumed that since I was registering from a different email address that I would not be able to use the same name/password because I am already using that name/password at home. I am a complete computer geek so it could be that I just took up another name on this board. Believe me, I am a much better cook than I am a computer user! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif

[Deanna]

Oh...well, that makes sense! And I'm not about to question anyone's computer skills...I'm the button-pushing type who gets in way over my head sometimes because I go in and change things and don't always know what I'm doing!!

[Gail]

Originally posted by Laura M:
(note I am Laura M at work and Laura at home) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Thanks for telling us!