Mussels Archives - Sardeenz!

Fangst No.1 Limfjord Blue Mussels

Officially, Fangst Blåmusling No.1 Limfjord Blue Mussels, Marinated, with Dill and Fennel Seeds. The "No.x" designation on Fangst products appears to simplify differentiating between preparation methods. There is also a "No.2" which is just smoked blue mussels. Not entirely necessary, but at minimum a convenience. The blåmusling is a bit redundant, as it only means "blue mussel" in Danish. This tin from Caputo's has been in my inventory for months now, and it seemed like high time to crack it open.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

These are tiny. And numerous. There must be at least 40 in there, maybe more. The initial aroma is odd, vinegary. A check of the label confirms apple cider vinegar in addition to the cold-pressed rapeseed oil. A sip of the liquid is both tangy and, I have to say, kind of nutty in an herbaceous way.

Taking out my trusty culinary tweezers, I started in. Picking them out, one at a time, I note the flavor of the mussels is delicate. They are meaty yet tender. The oil, vinegar, dill and fennel seeds give a subtle vinaigrette flavor to it all. It takes a moment, but I realize the dill is also seeds, not the dried herb.

The marinade also has a slight sweetness. I don't really find things here too salty at all, so the label listing 700mg. sodium is surprising. I would have guessed far less, half that at most.

Being nerdy, I counted them as I ate. Ultimately, there were 50 in total. Underneath it all was a copious quantity of the dill seeds and fennel seeds. I tasted spoonfulls of the marinade and seeds and thought about ways I might use this tin as part of a recipe in the future. Whisking the marinade with some additional oil for use as a dressing over a light pasta with the mussels seemed like it might work well.

Main Takeaways

Tiny, meaty mussels
Well-balanced marinade doesn't overpower shellfish flavor
A little spendy, but worth it

Reasonably priced in packs of three at Amazon.

Brand: Fangst (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Description: Limfjord blue mussels with dill and fennel seeds
Species: Mytilus Edulis
Country of Origin: Denmark
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.88 oz.
Price Range: $10

Pepus Mussels in Pickled Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

I received these Pepus Mussels in Pickled Sauce a few months back, and am just now getting around to trying them. I typically prefer canned mussels over the more pedestrian and ubiquitous smoked oysters.

Initial impression upon opening the can: Had to wait until I found pliers because the ring broke off.

But, after I did, they look nice. The oil (sunflower) is tinged red with the unnamed spices. I counted over 20 mussels, which was to be expected given the notation "small size" on the carton. The aroma is vinegary. The carton lists wine vinegar. This type of marinade preparation is also referred to as an escabeche.

The flavor of the escabeche is not overpowering in any respect. The vinegar's acidity is mild. Unfortunately, the anonymous spices don't seem to bring too much to the table. The overall impression of the "pickled sauce" is a subdued Salsa Espinaler. This makes sense, as the Pepus label is Espinaler's entry level offering. Still, these were over $7. Comparatively, the similar Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels sell at a competitive price point, but can occasionally be had on sale for a couple dollars less.

Main Takeaways

Small, meaty mussels
Escabeche preparation not as vinegary as feared
Pricey as mussels go

Brand: Espinaler / Pepus
Description: Mussels in pickled sauce
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

Patagonia Provisions Smoked Mussels in EVOO

DeenLeave a comment

This can of Patagonia Provisions Smoked Mussels has been lingering on my shelf for a while. I got them at Whole Foods a couple of months ago when they were on sale. I really liked their spicy mussels, and hoped these would be as good.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

These look good. Smell good, too. The aroma of the sea and smoke combined. They look like they're in some kind of golden sauce. The ingredients say mussels, mussel broth, EVOO, water, salt, natural wood smoke.

Contrary to package direction, I ate them straight from the can. I counted twelve mussels, give or take one. They are firm and meaty.

Now for the taste. The non-mussel ingredients have somehow combined into this velvety, salty, buttery goodness that the smoke complements but doesn't overpower. It's almost like a New England style chowder in a can. I want to open another can right now, but don't have one.

Main Takeaways

A taste of the sea in a can
Nice meaty mussels
Flavor combination greater than the sum of its parts

See it at Amazon. The price there isn't too bad right now. The sale at WF put the Prime member price under $6.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Patagonia Provisions Smoked Mussels in EVOO
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

Patagonia Provisions Lemon Herb Mussels

DeenLeave a comment

I got these Patagonia Provisions Lemon Herb Mussels on sale last month at Whole Foods, at the same time as the Spicy Mussels and some other PP selections. So far, I've been happy with all of the Patagonia cans I've tried, so I was hopeful these would not disappoint.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Lots going on in there. Bits of onion and flecks of herbs. Nice shellfish aroma. Ingredients say lemon juice, onion, garlic, spices. The banner on the carton says "bright, zesty, savory", but I found all the seasonings to be subtle and not overpowering of the intrinsic flavor of the mussels. Kind of hard to say what all of the spices are. The carton doesn't specify what the other "organic spices" consist of. The description on Amazon says thyme, but I wouldn't have known it unless you told me. Suffice it to say they taste like what one might find in a seafood stew.

I ate these right from the can. I counted 17 mussels, mostly whole, with a few ragged ones. Overall impression was that I preferred the spicy mussels over these. But as a change of pace from other seasoned mussels, these weren't bad at all.

Main Takeaways

Good shellfish aroma
Seasonings didn't interfere with mussel flavor
Might be good in a seafood stew

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Patagonia Provisions Lemon Herb Mussels in EVOO
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

La Narval Mussels with Garlic & Chili

DeenLeave a comment

These La Narval Mussels with Garlic & Chili were a little spendy. But, having been impressed by their Tuna Ventresca, I decided to "shell out" and get them.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Some nice looking shellfish here. Plump and swimming in olive oil (not EVOO, though) with a slight reddish tinge. The oil had the subtle aroma of garlic, and the color I attributed to the chili. Initially, I didn't find physical evidence of either in the can.

The La Narval website says to expect 12 to 16 mussels per can. I counted either 14 or 15. I didn't find the meat as inherently sweet as with some others, but they were tasty nonetheless. If, as they say, you are what you eat, then maybe the Galician Coast has some different phyto-plankton affecting the flavor of these.

If there was any heat, it was really way in the background. Maybe some Salsa Espinaler might have perked them up a bit, but I didn't have any at hand. They were enjoyable anyway.

At one point, I found what looked like a tiny kidney bean. Since I know mussels don't have kidneys or livers, I had to make a closer inspection. It turned out to be the smallest chile pepper I've ever seen.

Main Takeaways

Appetizing appearance
Sparse seasoning left us wanting something more
Quality mussels, regardless

Best price on these is a little over $7 at World Market. Luckily, I have one nearby.

Brand: Don Gastronom/La Narval
Description: Mussels with Garlic & Chili
Species: Mytilus galloprovincialis
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic, Galician Coast
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.9 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels

DeenLeave a comment

Caught them on a sale at Whole Foods, where they go for normally about $8 a can. Mussels are always a nice break from sardines, mackerel, etc. And they're typically a cut above the usually pedestrian smoked oysters, as these Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil definitely are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

These look nice, and the can is full. I counted 20 or 21 whole mussels. The banner on the box says "Hot, Tangy, Sweet", and that's about right. Not too hot, though. Tangy as well, and I guess the sweet really comes from the mussels themselves. Really tasty.

The box urges you to "flip can onto a plate so seasonings flow evenly over mussels." I dumped them over some rice for a quick lunch. The image on the Patagonia website oversells the red bell pepper content a bit. Maybe chalk that up to food-styling photography. If these were plain, I'd put a few dashes of Salsa Espinaler on them, but that's not necessary. I think the same sensibility was used when concocting this flavor profile, though.

This is the first can of mussels I've noticed that honestly lists mussel broth as the primary liquid, with the EVOO being sixth on the list of ingredients.

Main Takeaways

Visually appealing
Seasoned as advertised
Plenty of mussels

Recommended. I'd buy these again. Hopefully on sale.

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Patagonia Provisions
Description: Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels in EVOO
Species: N/S
Country of Origin: Spain, Chile
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic; FAO87, Southeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7-8

Trader Joe’s Lightly Smoked Mussels

DeenLeave a comment

Officially described as Trader Joe's Lightly Smoked Mussels in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I continue to have a bone to pick over "in olive oil". These are clearly not packed in olive oil. There may be some in there, and according to the box, it's the second ingredient on the list. But it should really say "with olive oil". This is not the first can of mussels I've seen make this dubious claim. I drank some of the liquid from the can (okay, so all of the liquid) to assess the flavor. And it was clear I wasn't drinking oil. Anyway, moving on...

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

These are nice looking, and the can is packed reasonably full. The taste was of a really good, sweet shellfish and just the right amount of chew. Didn't really get much in the way of smoke, though.

I think I'm going to make a frutti di mare pasta with a tin of these, can juices and all. It should go well with some fresh shrimp I have on hand. At a little over $2 each, I just might use two cans.

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Lightly Smoked Mussels
Species: Mussels
Country of Origin: Chile
Source: FAO87, Southeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.02 oz.
Price Range: $2-3