Mussel power

You want mussels? You've got 'em. From September to March British mussels grace our plates, and they're at their most succulent in the chilly months.

During autumn and winter mussels are in such plentiful supply that even the most ethical eater should have no qualms gorging on them, as long as they're not dredged from the sea bed; try to eat ones sourced from the reasonably clean waters of Scotland or Ireland. If in Britain, eat British: the blue or common mussel are widely available; large Pacific green-lipped mussels may be tasty but they use up a lot of 'food miles' travelling to our bowls.

These juicy morsels have been a source of food for centuries; according to lore, a 13th century Irish fisherman happened across the idea of cultivating them when he noticed how they clung to the supporting poles of his fishing nets. Once seen as peasant food (like the oyster), they've enjoyed a renaissance in recent decades, but remain affordable (unlike the oyster).

Mussels are a great source of protein, vitamin B12, zinc, iron and selenium (good for your metabolism and immune system). Don't be put off by woeful tales of food-poisoning from that one 'bad' mussel; as long as you buy ones that have clean, un-cracked shells and smell of brine, and discard the ones that don't close when you tap them, you'll be fine.

To clean these health-boosting bivalves, wash them thoroughly, then submerge them in cold tap water – mussels only like sea water, so this process should make them close up. Once cooked (steaming them is best), ditch any with closed shells. Mussels go well with a variety of flavours, as these recipes show.

Some delicious. recipes with mussels

Baked mussels with chilli, anchovy and caper breadcrumbs recipe

Mussels have been never nicer that in this joyous recipe where they're mixed with chilli, anchovy and capers.

Mussels and chickpeas with bruschetta recipe
Mussels are great cold-weather food because they love cold-weather sea. Keep the mussels in their shells for this dish, eat them with your fingers, then enjoy the soggy, chickpea-littered bread afterwards. You could prepare the stew in advance, then remove the mussels from their shells and re-heat everything, if you prefer. This stew is also good with pasta.

Mussel, squid and prawn stew with harissa recipe

Even without the harissa this seafood dish of mussels, squid and prawns would be a blissful fish stew for a blustery day. Adding it only enhances the flavour.