Ok I did it..Mussels!!
#11
  Re: (...)
Ok I bought the 5lb bag of mussels. I know Bill posted an appy with pesto so if anyone has that handy that would be super.

So I need recipe ideas. I have the pizza one saved in my cookbook...but would love some tried and true classics like with wine and linguine.

And....GO!

(listens to Jean and Daphne cracking their knuckles before they start typing )
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#12
  Re: Ok I did it..Mussels!! by DFen911 (Ok I bought the 5lb ...)
You can hear it from here??????????????there??????

You might think about being a little bad and deep fry them with a light beer batter - they are wonderful. I've never deep fried mussels before. Groan.....we are so full.
[Image: friedmusselsclamsonions2.jpg]

Mussels are on left, clam 'scatter' on right - I also grilled some onions, and potatoes for later use.

I've eaten muussels all my life, so I have so many recipes, but I'll weed out and only post the ones that on a scale of 1 to 10 are 15s.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#13
  Re: Re: Ok I did it..Mussels!! by cjs (You can hear it from...)
Here we go -
I'm sure you already have this one, but I'll put it with the others.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Cameon's PENN COVE MUSSELS with BALSAMIC CREAM & BACON

1 pound Penn cove mussels (or whatever mussels are available) -- debearded & cleaned
1 T. shallots -- chopped
1 T. garlic -- chopped
2 T. bacon -- chopped
1/3 cup tomatoes - seeded and diced
1/4 cup white wine
2/3 C heavy cream
3 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. basil -- fresh

In a sauté pan sauté the bacon, shallot, & garlic until the shallots begin to look translucent. Add the mussels and toss with the shallots and bacon.

Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of white wine; add the cream, basil and balsamic vinegar;
Cover the pan and reduce the cream sauce until the mussels are opened. Once the sauce reduced, sprinkle the diced tomatoes over and serve at once in the same pan or transfer to a large bowl.

Any leftovers you may have are wonderful over pasta.


NOTES : TO PREPARE MUSSELS:
Using a clam knife, scrape any barnacle from the shells.
Remove the beard-like strands.
Place the mussels in a bucket & cover w/cool fresh water by about 2".
Agitate the mussels w/your hand in a washing machine motion.
Drain and discard the water.
Repeat several times until the water becomes clear.
Drain again and keep the mussels cool until ready to cook.

Description:
"I first tasted this appetizer during a trip to Seattle area in January of 2001 and after tasting Chef Cameon Orel's mussels, we made two more visits to the Yarrow Bay Beach Café, during the same trip. Chef Cameon graciously shared her recipe."

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Here's a tutorial I posted for Denise at some point - remember mussels and clams can be used interchangeably in almost every dish.


* Exported from MasterCook *

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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After you read this over, please let me know any questions you may have. I hope you will love these little guys as much as I do!! have fun!

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Have fun and I'm sure others are going to be giving you great ideas and I'm anxious to copy them also.
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: Ok I did it..Mussels!! by cjs (Here we go -[br]I'm ...)
Denise, I only do clams. I tried mussels recently, but apparently murdered the poor things. I posted about the disaster on here a few weeks back. As far as clams, I have only done them steamed and Clams Casino (Jean posted).
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#15
  Re: Re: Ok I did it..Mussels!! by Gourmet_Mom (Denise, I only do cl...)
Oh I am so excited! I think I am going to try Mussels Mariner Style first. I'll cook up a few extra to use as Bill's appy tomorrow. The rest I'll cook up and freeze to use later.

Think I should double the sauce if I want put it over pasta or do you think it'll be enough?

Edit - Forgot to add I'll fry some tomorrow cause that sounds like one tasty lunch

Edit # 2 - So after buying 5 pounds I lost about a a pound to opened/cracked shells. Is that normal? Also I washed them, debearded them (what a pain in the arse that is!) and soaked them in water with a bit of flour. Are they suppose to float? Out of the 4 pounds I have left about 1/2 a pound sinks, the rest are floating.
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#16
  Re: Re: Ok I did it..Mussels!! by DFen911 (Oh I am so excited! ...)
Ok had to post another message. OMG!!!!! The only thing I changed was I added about 6 cloves of minced garlic along with the onions. Forget the pasta...that never even got cooked All I did was use some bread to sop up the juice.

[Image: Musselswithwhitewineonionandgarlic.jpg]
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#17
  Re: Re: Ok I did it..Mussels!! by DFen911 (Ok had to post anoth...)
doesn't that dish look great!
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#18
  Re: Re: Ok I did it..Mussels!! by cjs (doesn't that dish lo...)
When we bought a 5 lb bag at Costco, there were quite a few of them that were cracked but that was ok - there would have been way too many otherwise.

We did a similar dish to yours (but over pasta) and then we did a huge "bucket" of steamers. There was only silence at the table.
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#19
  Re: Re: Ok I did it..Mussels!! by Trixxee (When we bought a 5 l...)
Beautiful dish, Denise. So, did you use the sinkers? This is why I never cook these things myself. I just don't know how to take care of them.
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#20
  Re: Re: Ok I did it..Mussels!! by Mare749 (Beautiful dish, Deni...)
Yeah I cooked them all up. Only 3 did not open so pitched those. Tonight till be Bill's appy with the pesto.

Jean do you think I can still fry them up after they've been cooked in the wine?
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