Melissas Mussels Recipes

SPICY MUSSELS WITH CHORIZO AND WINE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chorizo to the onions and cook until the sausage loses its raw color, about 5 minutes. Add the harissa and red pepper flakes, and then turn up the heat to high.
• Once fragrant, deglaze the pan with the wine, allowing to bubble for a minute. Lower the heat to medium, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the prepped mussels and cover to steam until the mussels open, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream and stir. Serve immediately with plenty of sliced French bread for dipping.

MUSSELS IN WINE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the onions in the butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the fennel seed, red pepper flakes, garlic and orange zest and cook until fragrant, stirring, another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and deglaze the pan with the wine, allowing it to bubble for a minute. Lower the heat to medium, add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the prepped mussels and cover to steam until the mussels open, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream, stir until incorporated and remove from the heat. Serve immediately with sliced French bread for dipping.

BROILED MUSSELS WITH GARLICKY HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together parsley, garlic, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Pulse in butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons Pernod until mixture is combined. Scrape into a bowl.
• In a soup pot with a tightfitting lid, combine mussels, 1/4 cup pastis and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until mussels have opened, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer mussels to a bowl until cool enough to handle; remove meat from the shells (reserving shells) and transfer to a bowl.
• Pry apart mussel shells and arrange half the shells on one or two large baking sheets; discard remaining shells. Place one mussel in each shell. Top each with a small spoonful of herb butter and a sprinkling of bread crumbs. Mussels may be made up to 1 day ahead up to this point; wrap baking sheets and mussels in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to serve, heat broiler to high and arrange a rack 4 inches from the heat. Transfer tray(s) to the oven and broil until bread crumbs are golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

ALE-STEAMED MUSSELS WITH GARLIC AND MUSTARD

Steps:

• Rinse mussels under cold running water. If you see hairy clumps around the shell (called beards), use a sharp knife or your fingers to pull them off, then scrub shells well with a vegetable brush.
• In a soup pot with a tight-fitting cover, heat olive oil, then add thyme, garlic, shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until shallots and garlic are softened, 3 minutes. Pour in ale and bring to a simmer. Add mussels and cover pot. Let mussels steam, stirring once or twice, until they open, 5 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mussels to bowls. Discard any that have not opened.
• Add butter, herbs and mustard to pan juices and bring to a boil. Whisk until butter melts, then taste and correct seasonings (add more butter if liquid tastes bitter). Pour over mussels and serve with bread for sopping up juices.

SPICY MUSSELS WITH CAULIFLOWER, BASIL AND LIME

Steps:

• Cut the cauliflower into small 1/2-inch florets; dice the stems. (You should have about 2 cups; save any extra for another purpose.)
• In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the cauliflower, shallots, chiles, garlic and a large pinch kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the mussels to the pot. Cover and cook over medium-high until most mussels have opened, 7 to 10 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.
• Stir in basil and lime juice. Season with kosher salt. Serve immediately, with crusty bread for soaking up juices.

SPICY COCONUT MUSSELS WITH LEMONGRASS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot until hot. Add the shallot, garlic, lemongrass and chile. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and mussels. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the mussels have opened, 5 to 7 minutes (discard any mussels that remained closed). Remove from heat, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a large bowl, leaving the liquid in the pot. Stir the lemon zest and juice, fish sauce and cilantro into the pot. Taste and add more fish sauce and/or lemon juice if needed (fish sauce provides the salt).
• As the mussels cook, heat the broiler. Place the croissants, cut side up, on a small baking sheet. Run under the broiler until just golden. Put the mussels in two wide, shallow bowls. Ladle the broth over them and serve with the croissants.

MELISSA'S MUSSELS

Steps:

• In a large pot (or the kitchen sink basin), soak the mussels 10 minutes in enough lightly salted cold water to cover.
• In a separate large pot, mix the onion, tomatoes, garlic, beer, wine, and peppercorns. Place the mussels in the pot, and bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until mussels open. Discard unopened mussels.