Grilled Mussels With Simmered Tomatoes Over Couscous Recipes

MUSSELS WITH SPICY TOMATO OIL AND GRILLED BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to a small bowl. Increase heat to medium-high and add tomatoes to oil. Cook, pressing down on tomatoes using a wooden spoon until they are very soft and broken down, 8-10 minutes; pluck out peels. Stir in chili oil and fennel seeds; season with salt. Add mussels, cover, and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until mussels open, 5-8 minutes (discard any mussels that don't open). Using a slotted spoon, transfer mussels to shallow bowls.
• Add butter to tomato oil and stir until melted and incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle oil over mussels and top with chives and fried garlic. Serve with grilled bread.

GRILLED MUSSELS WITH HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a small pot, melt butter over medium. Remove from heat and stir in parsley; set aside.
• Working in batches if necessary, place mussels on grill in a single layer. Place lemons, halved and lightly oiled, on grill, cut side down.
• Grill until mussels open and lemons are warmed through and browned, 5 minutes. With tongs, transfer mussels as they open to a large platter. (Discard unopened mussels.) Pour herb butter over mussels; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with lemons.

GRILLED MUSSELS WITH SIMMERED TOMATOES OVER COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Position a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Holding the tomatoes over the strainer, scoop out the seeds, letting the juice and seeds fall into the strainer. Press the seeds with a ladle to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the seeds and set the juice aside. Halve the tomato quarters and set them aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. Add the wine and tomato juice and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Set the tomato mixture aside, covered.
• Put the couscous in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then cover and set aside.
• Just before cooking, clean the mussels. Gently tap any open shells against a countertop and wait a minute for the shell to close. If the shell stays open, the mussel is dead and must be discarded. Remove the little thistle of fiber, called the beard, that sticks out of the shell by yanking it toward the narrow end of the mussel. Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water and stir in a handful of salt. Soak the mussels in the water for 30 minutes, then lift them out, leaving the debris behind, and set them in a colander.
• Heat a grill and place the mussels between the grates. Grill until the mussels are open and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
• To serve, put a scoop of couscous on a plate, followed by the tomatoes, then the mussels. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil. Garnish with the parsley.