Wild mussels (mussels are also farmed) require an additional cleaning step -- debearding. Protruding between a mussel's shells is a small bristle or beard, by which the mussel attaches itself to rocks or pilings. Shortly before cooking, remove the beard by tightly grasping the hairs near their base and giving a sharp tug. The beard should snap off along with a tiny bit of mussel flesh.
Reference: How to clean mussels, clams and other mollusks (Sunday Dinners)
Recipe: Steamed Clams And Mussels With Mint Kefir (Sunday Dinners)
Whether it's visible or not, vegetables usually have dirt, dust and other residue on them. Here's an easy and thorough way to wash all kinds of leafy greens:
Grab a bowl large enough to easily hold the greens and fill it with lukewarm water. Submerge the greens in the water and shake them back and forth to dislodge or dissolve the dirt. Then just lift the greens out of the water so the dirt stays behind. Pour out the water and repeat with clean water until the water stays clear when you pull out the greens.
Don't be intimidated by this odd-looking vegetable. Prepping celery root (or celeriac) is straightforward and worth the effort, since it makes up for in taste what it lacks in beauty.
Note: Keep in mind that the celery root's flesh discolors when exposed to oxygen -- so mix together a little vinegar or lemon juice and water in a bowl to hold the prepped celery root in as you work.
First, slice the root end off so that the entire bulb has a steady base. Next, hold the stem end of the bulb and slice the skin away, leaving as much of the flesh intact as possible.
Once the tough skin is fully removed, just cut off the top stem end and cut it in half so it is more manageable.
Now the celery root can be prepped for cooking in the same way you would potatoes, turnips, rutabagas and other root vegetables.
When sliced very thin using a mandoline, celery root is perfectly edible raw.
Dress raw celeriac as you would any salad.
What does it mean to French a rack of lamb?
What does it mean to French a rack of lamb?
To "French" a rack of lamb means to clean meat, cartilage and fat between the tips of the rib bones to make for a neater presentation. It also makes the rack a little easier to cut apart into chops and serve when fully cooked.
We like to leave Frenching to the expert hands of our butcher, but you can try it yourself with a very sharp knife.
