The Ocean's Peaches
Perhaps more than any other season, the apex of summer is about finding the very best in seasonal ingredients, from basil to tomatoes to stone fruit to ... mussels?
Yes, we are in the heart of the peak harvest of the Northwest aquaculture farms, and they are pumping out some delicious mussels that the Chronicle's Olivia Wu describes as the "peaches of the ocean":
Large, succulent and pristine, without a trace of muddy-bottom flavor, they are superlative. A wonderful spring plays off your teeth when you bite down; there's no mush anywhere. Most important though, is the clean taste - there is not a trace of dirty guts in any mussel I've slurped from Washington state. You just get firm but tender muscle.The primary difference with mussels from Washington aquafarms--which, unlike Bay Area growers, specialize in mussels (as opposed to oysters)--lies in their plump texture and clean taste. To make the Washington mussels' case even stronger, summer is the worst time for the more popular Prince Edwards Island (PEI) mussels.
Washington mussels can be found at the following San Francisco dining establishments, among others: Kuleto's, Foreign Cinema and Anchor Oyster Bar.
Seafood by the Season: Northwest's mussel beach [SFGate]
[Photo courtesy: Whole Foods]
