Here is the second recipe I made on Sunday night with a portion of that huge package of sausage I’d purchased at Costco. I bought a huge bag of live mussels to go along with it.

Remember, I made the Corn, Potato & Sausage Chowder? We had steamed mussels too.

It’s important to do two things with live mussels. First, pull out and discard any and all cracked or broken mussels.

The second thing; just before cooking,  pour a 1/2 cup or so of cornmeal into a large bowl.

Add cold water and stir. Then add the mussels and let sit for about 20 minutes. As the mussels breathe, they take in the cornmeal and fresh water and expel sand and grit.

Lift the mussels out of the water with a slotted spoon or spider and leave the sandy water behind.

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