I typically advocate a jump right-in approach to cooking. After all, more often than not, it’s a lack of confidence on the part of the cook that gets them in trouble. The nervous back and forth between the dish on the stove, rapidly charring before them in a most undesirable way, to the recipe, where they search for answers. When should I remove it from the skillet? Is this golden brown? Has it been exactly 3 minutes? Is it normal for it to be smoking this much?
Most people would benefit from relying on their own instincts a bit more. Despite our personal cooking skills, most of us know what burnt looks like and most problems in the kitchen are easily solved with a little commonsense. With that being said, there are some things that need a bit of prior knowledge on the part of the cook in order to be approached with confidence. Mussels are one of these things.
