Page 28 - Foodservice magazine may 2019

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SEAFOOD
AUSTRALIAN BLUE MUSSELS ARE THE NEW BLACK
IT’S MUSSEL SEASON, AND WITH FOOD, STAFF AND RUNNING COSTS EVER DIGGING DEEPER, JOHN SUSMAN SAYS THIS SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE AND DELICIOUS MOLLUSK MIGHT JUST BE THE ANSWER TO YOUR SEAFOOD WOES.
Blue mussel farmers in Australia use the long-line system.
With food costs spiraling, competition increasing and consumers seeking only the best, chefs are faced with the difficult task of finding ingredients that offer consistent high quality and value.
The rise in popularity of mussels, namely Blue mussels, is thus very timely.
Blue mussels are the solution for the creatively and commercially challenged foodservice operator, offering value for money for a delicious and versatile seafood that’s full of protein and higher in omega-3 than any other shellfish.
Although we eat among the lowest volume of mussels in the Western world – an average of 120 grams per person per annum, by comparison to New Zealanders who each eat 2.6 kilos per annum – Australians are rapidly becoming aware of mussels’ charms.
The mussel farming industry in Australia is rising to this challenge too, with growers producing mussels that show incredible consistency, standing alongside the best out of Europe and North America by any measure.
All commercial mussel farming in Australia is based on the long-line system, where mussel spat is seeded onto lines suspended into the water between two and 15 metres below the surface – a method that removes the need for the mussels to be purged of sand or mud post-harvesting. It also means that any dead mussels simply fall off the line, making the “if it doesn’t open on cooking throw it away” rule redundant. In fact, the Australian mussels that don’t open on cooking are generally those with the strongest adductor muscle, so by simply prizing them open with a knife, you’ll inevitably find a full, juicy creature inside.