How to Cook Mussels!

Mussels are one of my favorite things to make when I crave a simple seafood dish, as long as they are fresh and of the very best quality. Simple and delicious, they are an almost sexy dish to prepare, and its easy for even the most basic home cook. Just as important as the mussels are having a good, crisp and very cold glass of Muscadet to go with them. Mussels are very easy to prepare, but often times I think people are scared to make them at home because they aren't sure if they are getting fresh mussels, or cooking the correctly.

With the following steps, you will make a mussels appetizer that will make any food critic happy. Sometimes the simplest things in life are truly the best.

Inexpensive Muscadet is an amazing pairing with mussels. Normally I would remove the price sticker from a bottle before serving it, but I wanted to show everyone that a really good wine doesn't have to break the bank.

Super sexy mussels cooked in white wine, shallots, garlic, and parsley.

Remove the mussels from the pan with a slotted spoon into a bowl. Cover with the sauce from the pan. Serve hot, with cold glasses of the Muscadet wine. Enjoy!

Add the mussels to the pan. Stir, and cover. Cook over medium heat until all the mussels have opened. Add some chopped parsley, and mix well.

Open up that Muscadet you bought, and drink a glass. Add 1/2 cup or so of the wine to the pan, and stir until the whole thing looks creamy. Add 2 tablespoons of water, and stir. Bring to a simmer.

This is what the sauce should start to look like. Add 2 tablespoons more of butter, and melt over medium heat, constantly stirring.

In a large pan (we call it a rondeau) add 1 tablespoon of butter, and melt over low heat. Mince one large shallot, and add to the pan. Add 3 cloves garlic, minced. Add a few parsley stems, about 1 to 2" long, and reserve the parlsey leaves. (mince these, as you will add them later). Sweat the shallots, garlic and parlsey stems over medium heat, until soft.

Start with 2 lbs. of mussels, fresh and clean. Check for freshness by appearance, all the mussels are closed, and there is a clean, sea smell. Anything that smells fishy is bad. Clean the mussels in cold water, removing any debris, or "beards" on the mussels. Set aside, and cover with a damp paper towel.

Cioppino

According to wikipedia, Cioppino is: a fish stew derived from the various regional fish soups and stews of Italian cuisine. Cioppino is traditionally made from the catch of the day, which in the dish's place of origin is typically a combination of dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fish with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce, often served over spaghetti or other long pasta and toasted buttered bread, either sourdough or baguette. The dish is comparable to bouillabaisse, burrida, and bourride of the French Provence, suquet de peix from Catalan speaking regions of coastal Spain, and to cacciucco and brodetto from Italy .[1]


Ok...enough of that. To me, Cioppino is a kind of comfort food, a dish that serves well to an informal party of people that are coming over for dinner, with some good cold white wine such as a Seyval Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc. (Maybe a cold beer too!)

To me, a good Cioppino has just a little heat, a variation of seafood including a firm white flesh fish (sea bass, haddock, monkfish), clams, mussels, and even some shrimp. Scallops add a great variation and I would add them if I wasn't allergic to them. Next, a balanced broth of tomato, fennel, saffron, clam juice, and onion needs to tie it all together. Add some garlic bread or rouille (french garlic aiolli) and your in for a treat.

My recipe is below. I hope you enjoy it.

The final dish, Cioppino. Serve in a deep bowl and don't forget the garnish!

An assortment of clams and mussels, cleaned and covered with a damp towel to keep them fresh till cooking time.

Beautiful heirloom cherry tomatos, of various colors.

Iranian Saffron. Some of, if not the best.

Clam tomato vegetable broth. The base for the dish.

Cioppino recipe:

Ingredients -

1 Large Onion, Diced

1/2 Bulb Fennel, Diced

Fennel Fronds for garnish

Parsley for garnish

Saffron, 1 pinch

4 Cloves Garlic, Minced Finely

1 Bell Pepper, Diced

Olive Oil as needed

24oz Clam Juice

16oz Tomato Juice

1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, Halved

Seafood - 1.5 lb white firm flesh fish, 1lb mussels (clean very well), 1/2lb clams, 1lb shrimp or 1lb scallops

Method

In large pot, add olive oil, then onion & garlic. Saute till tender, add fennel and bell pepper. Cook till soft. Add saffron, cook 1 minute till aromatic. Add the liquids, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 30 minutes. Season.

Add the seafood, bring liquid to a simmer, cover till fish is cooked and all the shellfish open. Add in cherry tomatoes. Cook 1 minute. Serve in bowls, with garlic bread. Garnish with minced parsley and fennel fronds.

Enjoy!