How to clean murexes
Murexes, called bocconi in Sardinia, garusoli, ragusi, sconcigli and bulli in other places, are molluscs belonging to the Muricidae family (scientific name Bolinus brandaris ).
They have a very particular strong flavour, considered a true delicacy and therefore protagonists of many traditional dishes, served as an appetizer or second course . But before cooking them, let’s explain how to clean murexes .
How to tell if a murex is fresh
The molluscs must be alive at the time of purchase and give off a pleasant sea scent, so discard them if they have a bad smell. To check the freshness , pass your finger over the foot, the part that protrudes from the shell: if it immediately retreats into the shell it means that it was recently caught, otherwise their consumption could be harmful to your health.
Choose fresh, quality murex like those marketed by Nieddittas , available all year round and coming from our excellent supply chain. They should be stored at a temperature between +4°C and +6°C ±2°C and consumed after cooking.
Their shell, with a particular club shape, has a wrinkled surface and a yellowish-brown colour. Before using them in your favorite recipes, follow the instructions on how to clean murexes.
How to clean murexes in 5 steps
Before cooking them, you must follow these simple steps:
- Rinse the murexes well under running water to remove impurities.
- Drain them and place them in a high-sided pan with cold water.
- Bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes.
- Drain them and let them cool.
- Using a toothpick,remove the pulp from the shell and remove the hard , brownish rolled part .
At this point all you have to do is proceed with your recipe.
How to cook murex?
Once cleaned , you can experiment with many delicious recipes : they can be cooked in stews , in soups , in sauces or boiled and served with garlic and parsley.
Try cooking them in a pan with oil, garlic and chilli for 2 minutes to create an exquisite fish appetizer , or in stew with tomato for seafood soups and salads . Another original first course is linguine with mureci , sprinkled with pepper and parsley.
Ideas for second courses with these molluscs? Murex salad seasoned with oil, salt, garlic, enriched with other seafood and chopped fresh parsley. For enthusiasts, the ideal and simplest method is to boil them to better savor their unmistakable taste .
Curiosity
These protandrous hermaphroditic gastropod molluscs are a variety of marine snails , they are widespread in the Mediterranean Sea , living in sandy and muddy seabeds , up to a maximum depth of 100 meters and a minimum depth of a few centimetres.
In the past the Greeks, Phoenicians and Egyptians used them to extract royal purple , a precious pigment secreted from the glands of the common murex, and for this reason famous and traded throughout the world. Today they are mainly used for culinary purposes. They are low-calorie (100 grams of product provide 135 kcal), they are low in fat but rich in proteins and mineral salts including phosphorus, iron, calcium, iodine and sodium; they contain vitamins , specifically vitamin A and B. They have firmer and more consistent flesh than land snails.
