Large shell-on mussels with plump sweet meat, hand-picked and frozen in the shell so nothing is lost on the way.

What It Is

A big blue-black mussel, eight to eleven centimetres long, with a smooth glossy shell and meat that fills it. The meat is plump and apricot-cream, sweet rather than briny, and stays tender as long as it is not boiled past the point of opening. The byssus thread has been pulled and the shells scrubbed.

Where It Comes From

Rope-grown in cold coastal water and harvested by hand at about eighteen months, then washed, graded and frozen the same day. Nothing is added: no brine, no glaze, no preservative.

Specifications

State on Arrival

Hard frozen, with the shells loose in the bag rather than fused into one block. A solid lump means the cold chain warmed at some point. The shells should be closed or just barely parted; a wide-open shell with dry meat inside was dead before freezing.

Storage and Thawing

Hold at -18 C or colder. Thaw in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours, or cook from frozen in a covered pan with a splash of liquid, which keeps the meat plumper than a full thaw. Do not refreeze.

Shelf Life and Delivery

Best within 12 months of the production date stamped on the bag. Ships in an insulated liner with dry ice and arrives hard frozen. Move it to the freezer the same day. Discard any shell that is cracked through or smells sour once opened.

How to Cook It

• Steamed. Garlic, white wine and a lid over high heat, 6 to 8 minutes, until every shell opens wide.
• With pasta. Open the shells in the pan, then finish the pasta in the liquor with chilli and parsley.
• Baked. Steam open, top each half with garlic butter and breadcrumb, then grill until the crumb browns.
• In broth. Simmer in a light cream or tomato base for the last three minutes, off the boil.

Allergen Information

Contains molluscs (mussels). Packed in a facility that also handles fish and crustaceans.