Seeking the fastest blades in the east
BY PENNY WARDLE
SHELLING OUT: Putting in some practice for tomorrow's mussel opening competition at the Havelock Mussel Festival are Patsy Riri, Melissa Carter, Sonya Ferguson and Jolene Holmes of Sanford. Backing up to unload is the Marlborough Mussels harvester Intrepid.
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How many mussels can a mussel shucker shuck?
Finding the answer will be the name of the game during the mussel opening competition at tomorrow's Marlborough Mussel Festival in Havelock.
Among the competition is a team of four women from Sanford in Havelock. They will also compete in the individual section.
Second-time entrant Patsy Riri said the secret was to "just relax and pace yourself". Another must was the sharp new knives handed out to the women yesterday.
Along with team-mates Jolene Holmes, Sonya Ferguson and Melissa Carter, she is hoping for mussels that are well cooked and therefore easy to open.
The quartet are used to working with mussels pre-blanched in Sanford's infra-red cooker, and discovered last year that the vintage traction engine used to provide steam to cook the shellfish at the festival was a lot less reliable.
It was a real challenge, with the mussels almost raw, and slimy and hard to handle, said Miss Riri.
In such circumstances, noted Mrs Holmes, "experience certainly counts" – though the women agreed they were more likely to cut themselves while peeling potatoes.
Sanford factory manager Simon Gibb said the company would supply two tonnes of mussels for tomorrow's festival – for the opening competition and for cooking demonstrations by chefs Chris Fortune and Richard Till.
The festival, from 10am to 6pm at the Havelock Domain, will feature entertainment by Frankie Stevens and the Lady Killers as well as Aaron Gilmore of Dancing with the Stars fame. More information at havelockmusselfestival.co.nz
- The Marlborough Express
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