MUSSELS: HOW TO FORAGE OR FARM THEM

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Prepare the marvelous morsels as soon as possible after you gather them. If you can't consume your catch right away, however, you can keep them — on ice or in cold fresh water — for a day or two.

You'll find the little mollusks easy to cook. You can steam them in wine, beer, or water (use about 1/2 cup of liquid for two dozen mussels, and let them simmer for eight minutes) or bake them at 400°F, with 1/2 cup of liquid, for 15 to 18 minutes. They'll "announce" when they're ready by opening wide. ( Remember that the less the shellfish are cooked, the better they'll taste . . . and that the meat tends to shrink if it's overdone.) The following recipes are just a few of the ways you can prepare your foraged feast:

STEAMED IN BEER

Cook a couple of slices of onion and some garlic ( the amount of which will be determined by your enthusiasm for the aromatic herb) in 3 tablespoons of butter . . . then add 1/3 cup of minced parsley, some pepper, and 1/2 cup of brew. Put this mixture in a Dutch oven with a couple of dozen freshly scrubbed mussels, and let them simmer for 8 or 10 minutes (or, again, until the mollusks have opened . . . throw away any mussel that stays closed). Serve the seafood with melted butter and napkins!

MUSSEL CHOWDER

Steam a few dozen mussels in water and remove the meat. Then strain the juice through cheesecloth and add clam juice (if needed) to make 1-1/2 cups of liquid. Chop and sauté an onion, a stalk or two of celery, and a few carrots in butter and add a touch of rubbed thyme, a bay leaf, and a cup of chicken broth. Combine this with the "mussel juice" and cook a cup of diced potatoes in it. In 15 minutes add the shellfish meat, 1-1/2 cups of half-and-half, and a bit of parsley. Heat it again to serve, but don't let it boil.

MUSSELS AND RICE

Fry up 1 medium-sized onion, 1 cup of mushrooms, and some garlic (to taste). Pour in the rice ( use 1 cup to serve 4 people) and let it cook for 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of pitted, black olives and 1/2 cup of sweet pimentos. Using mussel juice (strained) or chicken broth, add 2 parts of liquid to 1 part rice. Cook the dish for about 15 minutes, or until the juice is absorbed, on medium-low heat. Stir in the meat of a few dozen steamed mussels (and a dozen or more shrimp, if you have them on hand) . . . cook the mixture for 2 more minutes . . . and sprinkle it with parsley before serving.

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