This one is quite exciting. Once again I kept us on the sidelines based on what I thought rather than what I had tested. It turns out that mussels, cooked mussels, may be bonded into sheets with the help of Activa. For the longest time I just thought cooked shellfish could not and would not be able to be formed into a mosaic. Thankfully I was able to let inspiration push us through those preconceived ideas. We steamed fresh mussels in a dry pan, allowing the moisture in the shellfish and the heat from the flame to cook and concentrate the flavors in the mussels. We picked the tender meat from the shells and then let the nuggets cool. We then mixed the mussels with 1% Activa RM and vacuum sealed them in a large bag. Once the mussels were vacuum sealed, we pounded them into a uniform sheet, spreading the seafood to the boundaries of the vacuum bag. Once the mussels were in a smooth layer from border to border, we placed the bag in the refrigerator to rest and give the bond time to activate.
The following day, we tentatively opened the bag and were ecstatic to see and taste our first mussel sheet.
