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Smoked, Preserved, Mussels

Smoked, Preserved, Mussels is a traditional British recipe for a classic method of preserving mussels by cooking, brining, hot smoking and then storing in a jar and covering with oil. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Smoked, Preserved, Mussels.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

120 minutes

Total Time:

140 minutes

Makes:

4 jars

Rating: 4.5 star rating

Tags : British Recipes


Ingredients:

2kg (about) fresh mussels
60ml white wine

For the Brine:
2l water
320g salt

olive oil

Method:

Scrub the mussels then place in a pan along with about 40ml water, 60ml white wine and 1 tsp minced shallots. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the mussels are just done (when the shells begin to open).

Remove the mussels from the pan and discard any unopened ones. Allow to cool until they can be handled then extract the meats from the shells. Then place in a bowl and pour over a brine made by dissolving 320g salt in 2l water (you may need to heat the water slightly to get the salt to dissolve). Set aside for 5 minutes to marinate in the brine.

After this time, drain the mussel meats then dip in olive oil and set on a wire rack. Place this in a hot smoker and smoke for about 40 minutes in dense smoke (See the article on making a home-made hot smoker for ideas on how to simply create your own smoker.)

Pack the smoked mussel meats into small jars that have been cleaned and sterilized then pour over enough olive oil to cover them completely. Seal securely with lids then place in a boiling water bath and process for 1 hour to sterilize.

Store in a cool, dark, cupboard.