mussels Archives - Sardeenz!

Fishwife Mussels in Basil Pesto

These Fishwife Mussels in Basil Pesto were on sale at Whole Foods for $6.88 after Prime member discount. Seemed like a good opportunity to try them. I've already tried and reviewed the sweet pepper and garlic version.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

That's a lot of basil. The aroma is overwhelmingly of basil. The oil is tinged green from it. And a sip of the oil, yep, primarily basil.

Let's Eat

Rice didn't seem right for mussels, so I looked around and settled on some unseasoned ramen noodles, the closest thing to pasta on hand. I just dumped the entire contents over them. The heat of the noodles brought out the basil aroma even further.

Looking over it all, I counted 25 to 27 mussels, a generous portion.

Digging in, the mussels are firm enough. But I'm not really getting a sense of any flavors beyond shellfish and basil. The garlic is under-represented, and I thought they needed some salt. The label states 420mg. sodium, but it felt like far less.

Pesto by definition includes cheese, obviously absent in this scenario, so calling it that is taking some liberties. Cheese would have brought the needed salt, but I had none on hand to test. The label also states lemon juice, black pepper and oregano, but, as included, they stood no chance against the preponderance of basil.

Overall, I thought these were just OK as purchased. I'd get them again if on sale and I had a proper bowl of pasta and some shaved or grated Parmesan cheese on hand.

Main Takeaways

Firm, tasty mussels
Basil over-represented, other seasonings shut out
Needed salt
Good portion

Brand: Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co.
Description: Mussels in basil pesto
Species: Mussels N/S
Country of Origin: Chile / Spain (packed)
Source: Farmed (Chile)
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $7

Fishwife Mussels with Sweet Pepper & Garlic

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These Fishwife Mussels with Sweet Pepper & Garlic came from Whole Foods. I've had a number of Fishwife tins so far, but this would be my first time trying any of their mussels. Let's see how they are.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Really nice looking shellfish. The sauce is a vibrant, deep red, which I'm hoping is an indication of complexity of flavor. There's not much in the way of an aroma. A sip of the sauce is unrevealing, a little tomato-y with a subtle note of maybe smokiness?

Let's Dive In

I probably would have preferred to have these with some pasta, but rice will have to do. I'm hoping the heat will help bloom and bring out the seasonings. To that end, I just dumped the entire contents into the bowl.

A quick count tallies 16 or 17 decent sized mussels, a good portion.

The mussels themselves are firm and meaty, but initial bites are not what I had hoped, flavor-wise. I'm getting mostly tomato, and little of the pepper or onion. There is nothing in the way of solid pieces of either. And least of all, none of the "zesty garlic" promised by the carton verbiage.

I see that "smoked spicy paprika" is apparently responsible for that first impression. But the small amounts of cloves and cayenne rounding out the ingredient list are, like the rest of the seasonings, woefully underrepresented.

I didn't find them at all salty, despite the listed 710mg. sodium.

Kind of disappointed here. Fishwife seasonings range from appropriately subtle to in-your-face spicy. I was expecting somewhere in-between, but ultimately don't think these really delivered on anything the carton promised, other than that they are good quality mussels. If they happen to be on sale, you might try them yourself, and see if you disagree.

Main Takeaways

Good size and count mussels
Bland sauce and MIA seasonings

Brand: Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co.
Description: Mussels with sweet pepper and garlic
Species: Mussels N/S
Country of Origin: Chile / Spain (packed)
Source: Farmed (Chile)
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $9

Espinaler Galician Mussels in Pickled Sauce 13/18

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These Espinaler Galician Mussels in Pickled Sauce 13/18 came with my first order from Caputo's, about a year ago. I often look at the box and think, "I should really open those", but something else always seems to get in the way. Well, today's the day.

This carton says "mussels in pickled sauce". You may also encounter the same labeled in Spanish as "mejillones en escabeche" or in French as "moules", both of which will likely have a label applied with the particulars in English.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

It's one of those cans where you pull up the ring and the packing liquid erupts all over the top of the lid and the rim before you can even get it fully opened. Pardon me while I go get some more paper towels.

Some beautiful, appetizing-looking mussels. The pickled sauce is tinged red with unnamed spices. The aroma is sweetly vinegary. A sip of it gives the impression of apple cider vinegar, but it's listed as wine vinegar. The oil is sunflower.

I had these straight from the tin, appetizer-style. The flavor and texture are of a sweet, meaty shellfish. I suggest using a spoon with a rounded bowl to get some of the sauce included with each mussel. It's like slurping a spicy morsel off the half shell, and doesn't let all that tasty sauce go to waste.

The 13/18 means to expect 13 to 18 pieces per tin, and this one had 14. The price on these rises exponentially when the mussels are larger, with the 7/10 count currently costing almost triple what these did a year ago.

Main Takeaways

Tasty, sweet mussels
Mildly tangy spiced sauce
Good QPR at this size

Unfortunately, these have increased in price since I bought them about a year ago. Now they're $8, up from $6.50. Although another place I (still) don't order from wants almost $11, so blame inflation (or tariffs).

Brand: Espinaler
Description: Mussels in pickled sauce
Species: Mytilus galloprovincialis
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO?
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4 oz.
Price Range: $6-7

Fangst No.1 Limfjord Blue Mussels

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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

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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