Mussels
#11
  Re: (...)
Okay, I have only had mussels one time....steamed. They were okay, but I preferred the clams....more familiar. That said, I couldn't score clams today. Just too many stops. BUT I did get a good deal on some mussels! Now I need to decide the best recipe to use them in. I know you guys have got some good ones...let's hear them! (If I remember correctly, Jean did a good one recently, so I will be revisiting that thread first.)

Update! Here are the recipes I have so far. Which are your favorites? Or do you have others?

Bill's Mussells with Pesto/SW

Jean's Cameon's Penn Cove Mussel recipe (which includes another from Chef Bartlett)

Mussle Recipes (This one includes a favorite of some from [Email]C@H)[/Email]

I'm hoping to make this a MEAL, so appy type recipes are not what I'm looking for, unless they can be converted to a meal for two.
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#12
  Re: Mussels by Gourmet_Mom (Okay, I have only ha...)
I'm thinking the Red Curry Mussels that we made in ND was from a C@H. I'll look in the AM - off to bed.
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
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#13
  Re: Re: Mussels by Harborwitch (I'm thinking the Red...)
All of those your linked sound so good. Haven't done Bill's with pesto tho, darn, forgot it. We're just tired of Chef Cameon's method, but it is good.

Another you might think about is subbing mussels for the clams in Nigella's pasta dish I post earlier this week. It sure was good, simple and tasty.

You have some big decisions to be making, girl!

P.S. or a paella

Well, I just found this in my MasterCook - I tried to search for a link here, because I must have posted it for Denise - remember when they came home from back east in love with musels?? Anyway - it's long, but some good ideas.


MUSSELS/CLAMS - TUTORIAL


Good morning Denise - hey, good for you!!

The easiest, fastest and favorite way that I prepare clams and/or mussels is with very little embellishment at all.
When you bring them home, the most important thing to remember is to open the container a little so air can get in - the clams need to breath till your ready to use them.

In a large pot, so the clams are not more than ~3 deep, pour some white wine or even a bottle of beer (maybe 1 cup) and add couple Tablespoons of butter, herbs (~2-3 T.total of parsely, basil, oregano, whatever combination or herbs you like).

Bring this to a boil, add the rinsed and cleaned clams and/or mussels. Put the lid on over medium heat, stir 3 or 4 times until the clams have opened - this can take anywhere from 8-15 minutes. Remove from heat and dump in a large bowl, throwing away any that have not opened. Some may have just a slit opened they are o.k.

Our favorite way to enjoy clams/mussels is to have a big loaf of sour dough and a bottle of wine and if you think you need something else, coleslaw works well.

As far as sauces go, our favorite is to put a cube of butter in a small pan and add minced fresh garlic. Melt this over heat and keep just warm to infuse the garlic into the butter. We dip the clams/mussels and the bread in this - it's wonderful. Or you can use a tartar or cocktail sauce. Whatever you like. or no sauce at all. The liquid they were cooked in is also great to dip your bread in!!

You can use your fingers (easiest) or a fork to loosen the meat from the shell.

If you want something a little more involved, here are a few recipes to try. Mussels and clams are really interchangeable in the recipes.


Mussels Mariner Style (Moules à la Marinière)

Recipe By :The American Culinary Federation
Serving Size : 10

4 pounds Mussels -- cleaned and debearded
4 ounces Unsalted butter -- cut into small cubes
5 ounces Shallots -- minced
4 fluid ounces Dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper -- freshly ground
2 each Thyme sprig
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoons Parsley -- chopped

Wash and debeard the mussels.

Melt 1 ounce of the butter in a large heavy skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the wine, a sprinkling of the pepper, and the thyme. Allow the mixture to simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mussels, cover and cook over high heat, shaking the pan often so that all of the mussels open up at about the same time, about 2 to 3 minutes. Take off the cover, remove the mussels as they open, and place them on a warmed serving platter. When all of the mussels have opened, strain the cooking broth through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook briefly over high heat, about 1 minute, or until slightly syrupy. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gradually add the cubed butter to the broth, whisking to incorporate.

Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Pour the sauce over the mussels, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve hot.




MUSSELS WITH CRISPY PROSCIUTTO
Serving Size : 10

1/2 tablespoon oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 thin slices prosciutto, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds black mussels
1 ounce Parmesan, grated
1 ounce Cheddar cheese, grated

Heat oil in small frying pan & add the onion, prosciutto, and garlic.
Cook over med. heat for 5-8 min, till the prosciutto is crispy & the onion softened, then set aside.

Scrub mussels w/stiff brush and pull out the hairy beards.
Add to a large pot of boiling water and cook for 5 min. Stir occasionally & discard any that don't open.
(NOTE: I put them on the bbq and let them open and then proceeded w/recipe)
Remove the mussels from their shells, keeping half of each shell.
Place 2 mussels on each half-shell (NOTE: I just put one on each) & top each w/a little of the prosciutto mixture.

Combine the Parm & Cheddar and sprinkle over the prosciutto.
Cook under a preheated grill or broiler until the cheese has melted and the mussels are warmed thru.
NOTE: I put them back on the bbq and grilled till heated thru.

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MUSSELS DIJONNAISE - JUNE

Mussels Dijonnaise
(Steamed Mussels with Mustard Sauce)

This is an easy and delicious variation on the classic Moules Marinière. You can leave out the mustard if you wish, and/or the cream.... But then you won't be making my recipe! Be sure to have lots of crusty bread to sop up the luscious sauce.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
3 quarts mussels, beards removed, cleaned and scrubbed
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

Heat the butter in a large saucepan until melted. Add the onions, shallots and garlic and cook briefly, until wilted. Do not brown.

Add the mussels, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, white wine and cream. Cover closely and bring to a boil.

Cook for about 5 minutes, shaking to redistribute the mussels. Cook until all the mussels are opened.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a serving bowl. Keep warm. Continue cooking the sauce for a minute, remove bay leaf and the thyme.

Stir in the mustard with a wire whisk while heating. Do not boil.

Spoon equal portions of the sauce over the mussels and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread

Teacher's Tip: The beard on a mussel is seaweed that has gotten caught in the shell. Most widely available mussels are farm-raised and generally beardless and sand-free, but if you get the "wild" kind, you'll need to pull the beards off. They're edible, but generally not appetizing nor attractive.

Wine Tip: My favorite wine with this dish is Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay. A French Chablis or flinty Muscadet would also pair well, tho differently.
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Clams Casino is a classic preparation for clams and just a wonderful dish -


Clams Casino

Recipe By :The American Culinary Federation
Serving Size : 10

4 ounces Onions -- minced
3 ounces Green peppers -- minced
3 ounces Red peppers -- minced
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper -- ground
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces Butter
40 each Top neck clams
10 each Bacon strips -- blanched and quartered

In a sauté pan over low heat, render the diced bacon until crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the onions and pepper and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Combine the onion and pepper mixture with the salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and butter. Blend all ingredients until they are evenly mixed.

Scrub the clams and discard any that are open.

Open the clams and loosen the meat from the shell. Top each clam with about 2 teaspoons of the butter mixture, and a piece of the blanched bacon. Broil the clams until the bacon is crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Well, between Lobster and mussels, you're going to be a tired of rich foods as I am.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#14
  Re: Re: Mussels by cjs (All of those your li...)
I got 4 pounds of shrimp and a big ol' slab of salmon, too...LOL! I have been soooo craving seafood lately, but couldn't spring for it. Now to figure out what to do with it all! I'll be stretching it out over a few weeks. The lobster, shrimp, and salmon are frozen now, so there's no rush. I want to take time to pick some yummy stuff to do with them. For now, the mussels are the main event.

OIY! So many good ideas. I want to go look at the one you posted from Nigella. I remember that one sounded sooo good. I'll run them all by William and let him pick. But I have wanted to make the one from Cameon for years.

I'll come back and post after dinner. This will be a good post for future reference. That's for sure.
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#15
  Re: Re: Mussels by Gourmet_Mom (I got 4 pounds of sh...)
I made a really good mussel dish a while back and now for the life of me can't find the recipe. I have a picture of it though - LOL!

It was basically linguine topped with a puttanesca type of sauce and I steamed the mussles open in the sauce.

One of these days when I can find some decent sized mussels I still want to make baked japanese mussels with dynamite sauce. It's one of my favorites when we go out for sushi.
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#16
  Re: Re: Mussels by Trixxee (I made a really good...)
uhhhh, " baked japanese mussels with dynamite sauce. It's one of my favorites when we go out for sushi" - method, recipe, instructions, directions?????
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#17
  Re: Re: Mussels by cjs (uhhhh, " baked japan...)
This gal sums it all up perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSOyZkhLtNM
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#18
  Re: Re: Mussels by Trixxee (This gal sums it all...)
Okay, I just checked my clams....over half are open...some VERY open. Now I'm worried about the rest of them. Would you risk eating the rest?
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#19
  Re: Re: Mussels by Gourmet_Mom (Okay, I just checked...)
Tap on them - if they close they're alive. If they continue to gape at you I'd toss 'em.
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
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#20
  Re: Re: Mussels by Harborwitch (Tap on them - if the...)
But the ones that ARE closed from the same batch are good?
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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