(Review and Recipe) Oh shucks I love oysters! The Mussel Monger, Oyster & Mussel Bar.
Updated: Oct 3, 2020
The Mussel Monger, Oyster & Mussel Bar, recently treated me to some of the best mussels and oysters I have ever had! They even sent me some recipes which I will share with you and how to shuck and oyster.
The Mussel Monger, Oyster & Mussel Bar purveying the finest oysters and mussels in South Africa, directly from our source in Saldanha Bay, to our Sea Point & Stellenbosch branches. We are now proud to offer deliveries to your door across various areas in the Western Cape.
The Mussel Monger now has an online store where you call order mussels and oysters to be delivered to your home!
themusselmonger.co.za/order-online
Mussels:
Cleaning the mussels reminded me of family beach holidays, where we foraged for mussels on the rocks. Mussel pots are a wonderful family friendly feast ( if no one has a shellfish allergy). We used to make a huge pot of mussels and then soak up the juices with freshly made bread – can it be any easier !
Cleaning: cleaning mussels is a easy 3 step process.
1. Scrub with a brush and rinse briefly
2. Pinch the mussel in your left hand , take hold of the bear. (yes mussels have beards!)
3. With the beard in the right hand pull up and out.
Recipe: Italian parsley & olive oil mussels
Prep : 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Serves : 4
Ingredients:
2kgs of Mussel Monger Mussels
1 Large White Onion
1 x 20cm Stem of Celery
1 Clove of Garlic
150ml of Good Quality SA Olive Oil
50ml of White Wine ( I suggest a Unoaked Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Course Black Pepper
( No salt is needed, Mussels will be salty enough)
Method:
Clean the Mussels.
Very finely dice the celery, onion and garlic.
Place the olive oil in the largest pot you have and on a low heat sweat off the onions and celery for roughly 5 minutes.
Add the Garlic and immediately add the mussels and white white. Give it a good stir, close the with the lid and steam for 6-8 minutes, stirring once more during the process.
5. Finely chop up the Italian Parsley and once Mussels are ready give them a stir and add the parsley.
Serve Immediately.
Oh, Oh ,Oysters!
Oysters, you either love em or hate them. I’m on the love side. They are such a treat, making me feel all fancy and cultured. Oyster defiantly are an acquired taste.
I decided to not make a vinegar or any sauce to accompany the oysters. I wanted them to shine on their own. So i literally just cleaned them, shucked them and put them on a plate to be served. Lemon to squeeze on top or to add a drop of Tobasco, should a guest want to add.
How to shuck an oyster: now how to shuck an oyster is obviously a lost art. Much hilarity ensued when my dinner guests decided they wanted to shuck their own oysters. Luckily no injuries occurred other than to some people’s pride.
Here is a tutorial on how to shuck an oyster (properly):
Wine pairing: I paired our oysters with a Steenberg 1682 chardonnay mcc. Oysters call for bubbly and are an iconic pairing for a reason. You will want to pair the oysters with a wine or sparkling wine that has fresh lemony nose and crisp acidity. Nothing to heavy that they will overpower the oysters, they oysters are the main attraction!
The Mussel Monger & Oyster Bar products are sustainably farmed. Only premium grade oysters and mussels are produced. Home grown in South Africa.
Order here : https://themusselmonger.co.za/order-online/
Note: recipe and instructions supplied by The Mussel Monger.
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