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Cooking
Let’s Go Cook
by Stephen Ruffin
Mussels with White Wine, Tomatoes and Basil
In an on- going search to find quick dinner recipes that actually taste great, the one direction I keep returning to is the sea. In this case mussels. Fish has always been a speedy and delicious dinner, but somehow I forgot how easy mussels are to prepare.
For those of you who are unsure, the mussel is the longish black or green looking shellfish next to the more familiar clams or oysters. Though I would never suggest to anyone that they should open and clean clams or oysters after a long commute, mussels are a different story.
The only cleaning involved with mussels is de-bearding. On the long flat side of the mussel you will see the beard; this is very small and not all mussels still have theirs intact. It’s this "hair" that is attached to the rocks or ropes and allows the mussel to ingest its food with the aid of the currents through their shell openings.
Firmly grasp the beard and pull. If you don’t get all of it don’t worry. The main point is to remove as much as possible. Now then, once you’ve de-bearded your mussels (a 2 ½# bag will take about 10 minutes) its time to start your broth.
This is where the flavor comes in. Here you can let your imagination run wild. The recipe below is a more traditional Italian style, but if curry is your thing, a tablespoon added to the onions and garlic would be great. For more of an Asian influence try garlic, ginger and scallions as your aromatics.
For the recipe below I’ve included one bottle of good quality white wine. Don’t blow your budget on this, but don’t add anything you wouldn’t drink, either. Actually when I made this the other night I added a bottle of champagne that someone had given me as a present and I never got around to drinking. It was great with the mussels.
When serving the mussels, use large bowls. The opened mussels will take up a lot of room. Better yet, just bring the pot to the table with a ladle and serve direct. With the mussels open they are simple to remove the meat from the shell. Remember; if the shell doesn’t open don’t eat it. These are safest just to throw away as the non-opening indicates a problem with the mussel.
Now the last thing to remember is to serve this with a great piece of bread. What I’m talking about is true rustic artisan bread with depth and a great flavorful crust. Buy a good size loaf. The bread is your starch for this meal. Once you’ve eaten all the mussels, use the bread to help soak up the broth. The broth with your aromatics, the wine and the flavor from the mussels is delicious! I doubled the recipe below and served it with a communal bowl for shells in the middle of the table. Other than the clanks of the shells hitting the bowl nobody said a word. Quick and easy and impresses the people who don’t know any better.
Mussels with White Wine, Tomatoes and Basil
1 Bag Mussels-
approx. 2 ½#
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Large white or Spanish onion-minced
2 stalks of celery-minced
4 cloves of garlic-minced
6 coarsely chopped plum tomatoes
12 fresh basil leaves-rough chopped
1 Bottle of dry white wine
1-teaspoon oregano
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Good quality loaf or Rustic bread
Rinse and de-beard mussels and set aside in large bowl Heat the olive oil in a pan and heat to medium high. When heated, add the onions, then celery and last the garlic-be careful not to let the garlic burn. Once the vegetables are soft, add the coarsely chopped tomatoes, basil, oregano salt and black pepper and the white wine. Allow this to come to a light boil. Add the mussels and cover with lid and lower the heat to medium. Allow them to cook for approximately 10-15 minutes or until all the shells have opened. NOTE: some shells will never open-discard these.
Once all the mussels have opened, remove from heat and ladle into large bowls. Ladle broth over these and serve immediately.
I know I’ve said easy before, but this really is and I hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions regarding this recipe please email me at www.letsstartcooking@aol.com
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