Almost any liquid can be used to steam mussels. French cooks frequently use white wine, while Italian cooks may prefer a mixture of olive oil, herbs, wine and tomatoes. In the simplest steamed mussel dishes the delicious broth is served over the mussels in bowls. In more elaborate dishes the mussels are taken out of their shells and the cooking liquid is flavored or enriched with additional ingredients. In other dishes, mussels are steamed open to get them out of their shells before they're fried, grilled, broiled, or served cold in salads.
Mussels are available in New York markets throughout the year.
Locally harvested mussels are most abundant in New York from May to October. Other Full Flavored, Delicate Textured shellfish you may wish to substitute for Mussels are clams and oysters. Depending on the size of the mussels, this could require between 9 and 18 mussels. The byssus threads secreted by mussels harden upon contact with seawater. In ancient Greece the threads of the mussel were collected and woven into byssus gloves for the hands of fishermen.