Something about a morning on the beach that tells me I must have seafood……So, on my way home I stopped at my favorite local market and picked up fresh mussels. If you haven’t tried them, mussels are a member of the clam family and my favorite way to serve them is with pasta. They can be combined with other seafood, such as shrimp, clams or scallops. Make sure to buy only the freshest mussels from a good fish market and remember that they are still alive (or should be!). They do have to breath, so don’t close them up in a bag with no air. When you get them home rinse them off and put them on a plate or pan and refrigerate until you’re ready to use them. Live mussels should be closed.
One of my favorite recipes for mussels is so simple and quick to make, yet it’s also inexpensive and the outcome is worthy of any fine Italian restaurant. Serve with a long pasta and warm crusty bread for a complete comfort food experience.
Mussels and Chorizo with Tomato and Garlic
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ lb. spanish chorizo, unwrapped and broken up (cubed into quarter inch cubes if the harder version of the sausage)
2 tblsp olive oil
1 14 oz. cans stewed tomatoes
1 lb. mussels
Start preparing pasta, boil water in large pot. Meanwhile, prepare the mussels. Cook garlic and chorizo in oil in a 4 – 6 qt. heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 1 – 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer, breaking up any large pieces. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in mussels and cook covered, over medium-high heat, stirring once, until mussels open, 6 - 10 minutes. (Discard any that have not opened after 10 minutes). Do not overcook. Serve immediately with long pasta, such as angel hair, and hard crusty bread for soaking up juices.
I always enjoy my days off, going to the seaside and then coming home to my kitchen and cooking up some nice comfort food. As I relax and get into my element, I love listening to some wonderful jazz. It just sets the mood and makes me smile to myself that life is good. Today I was listening to a great classic, “New Bottle, Old Wine” (how great a title is that?) by the fabulous Gil Evans Orchestra. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Evans_Orchestra Talk about mood music! Let me know what your think!
From Patrick in St. Petersburg, FL:
ReplyDeleteKaren's mussels recipe sounds great, and here's another one that is easy and delicious - mussels with seasoned bread crumbs.
Patrick's mussels with seasoned bread crumbs
Maybe it goes without saying but all meals are better made with fresh ingredients. That's particularly true with this one. Mussels should be fresh, and it's not so easy to know by looking at them, so an honest relationship with your seafood retailer is most useful. Same with the breadcrumbs - make them yourself! I serve this meal with a side of orzo and fresh pesto. Pesto is really easy to make (Parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, pine nuts or walnuts, and olive oil). You can make about twice the pesto you'd buy in a grocery store jar for the same money, and it will taste twice as good. So do it fresh! You guests will taste the difference.
I strongly suggest you cook the mussels the day you buy them. If you store them in the fridge for a while, keep them in an open bowl where they can breathe (Yes, they are alive, at least for now.).
When ready to cook, rinse the mussels in cold water and drain. Three pounds of mussels will feed four people, given side dishes. You are going to steam the mussels in a large covered pot on the stove top, and fold in the breadcrumbs as soon as they're cooked.
In the pot, bring to boil 3/4 cups white wine (I like pinot grigio in this) and a few tbs. olive oil. Put in the mussels, cover and steam for 4 -5 minutes. Use a glass top and you can see when the mussels open up. They're done!
To make the breadcrumbs, toast about half a baguette loaf, and crumble in food processor with
- 4 -6 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
- couple tbs. sun dried tomatoes
- handful of basil and parsley
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- salt and pepper to taste.
Tip - Go slow crashing up the breadcrumbs; you don't want a pile of mush.
Fold the breadcrumbs into the mussels and broth and serve in shallow bowls. Pasta is a natural to go with this, and I like some citrus contrast, like a mango / kiwi chutney.
That's it. This should take you no more than 30 minutes tops, including assembly. Let me know how it tastes and what spin you put on the dish to spice it up!
Patrick