Mussels are put in a refrigerator at 6-8º. If they are not to be cooked immediately, with a view to prolonging their life we pack them tightly in a net. In this way we can preserve them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, otherwise they can be preserved alive for 1-2 days. Mussels which are in airproof packing can be preserved in the refrigerator upto the date written in the packing.
Transportation of mussels and other shell-fish
They are transported live by air and placed in the central aquarium/sanitation tanks of the company, in sea water. All the necessary health checks, selection and packing are done there.
Subsequently they are transported to our special aquariums in the various districts and the fish market and are weighted in the presence of the customer. The transportation of shell fish to shops which do not have aquariums is done in a special net packing.
We also supply the market with live mussels in airtight packing, where the mussels remain alive for 9 days from the day of packing.
Preparation for cooking:
Mussels are put in a refrigerator at 6-8º. If they are not to be cooked immediately, with a view to prolonging their life we pack them tightly in a net. In this way we can preserve them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, otherwise they can be preserved alive for 1-2 days. Mussels which are in airproof packing can be preserved in the refrigerator upto the date written in the packing.
Before cooking, select the live mussels, i.e. those which are closed. Discard the rest. Remove the string-like “beards” under the shell. Also scrape away the barnacles. Wash the mussels and put them in the deep pot.
Steamed mussels:
Place the mussels in a deep pot with a little water. Close the lid and cook for 3-5 minutes in medium heat, until they open. Discard any mussels that do not open.
In the deep pot add some aromatic substances according to personal taste, for example half a glass of white wine, or ouzo, in which case we do not put any water in the pot. Also add basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, thinly chopped onion, juice of fresh tomato, salt and pepper, according to preference. After straining the broth from the mussels, use it for serving, or as a basis of sauce for seafood pasta.
Other shellfish
The company supplies a large variety of live shellfish. Those preferred by the majority of people are cockles clams and oysters. For cockles and claim follow the same cooking instructions as those for mussels, but you can also serve them live. Oysters are invariably served live. In this case open the oysters in two, add lemon, salt and pepper as you prefer.