Mussels With Tomatoes Basil Saffron Recipes

GREEN-LIP MUSSELS, COOKED WITH SAFFRON AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Note: This dish really is a hands-on one. There's no way getting around using your fingers to eat this, unless you can really be bothered to take the mussels out of their shells for your guests. If you can't get your hands on fresh whole Green-lip mussels, you may be able to find some that have been prepped already, whereby they come in the half shell, already partly cooked. If this is the case, make the recipe as follows, but don't add the mussels. Cook the tomato broth for 4 minutes, before adding them and cooking a further 2 minutes.
• Place the mussels in a large pot with a tight fitting lid and add the next 6 ingredients. Mix well, then pour on the wine and oil. Place over a high heat, bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes. Take the lid off the pot and give the mussels a stir, put the lid back on and cook a further 2 minutes. They're cooked when they all open, however you occasionally get some that are stubborn and refuse to play ball, so when you serve them discard these.
• I like to scoop out the mussels into a large ceramic bowl and leave it covered and warm while I serve my guests the broth as a first course in flat soup bowls. Then I bring the mussels to the table and serve them with a huge spoon into the soup bowls, then use the ceramic bowl for the discarded shells. I serve the mussels with lots of fresh crusty bread.

MUSSELS IN SAFFRON BROTH

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan over moderate heat, and add 1/2 the onions, salt and pepper. Saute briskly until slightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook and additional minute, then add the white wine and reduce to half. Add thyme, saffron, clam juice or fish stock, and tomato juice and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat about 10 minutes. Strain and reserve.
• Working in batches or in more than one pan, heat the remaining olive oil over high heat and add the remaining onion. Saute briefly, stirring occasionally, until onions are beginning to color, about 4 minutes. Add mussels to pan, keeping them in 1 layer, and saute 1 to 2 minutes, then add a proportionate amount of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce immediately to a simmer and cook, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until all the mussels are opened. Toss in parsley and serve on shallow soup plates with about a cup of broth per serving.

MUSSELS WITH TOMATOES AND SALAMI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, salami, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is just golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the wine, tomatoes, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are wide open and look plump on the inside, 6 to 9 minutes. Discard any mussels that haven't opened after 10 minutes. Stir in the basil. Serve with bread.
• Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

MUSSELS WITH TOMATOES, BASIL AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring until the garlic is golden, 3-4 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook until almost dry, about 3 minutes.
• Use a swivel peeler to peel off 2 long strips of zest from the orange and add them to the pot.
• Squeeze the orange's juice into the tomatoes, then stir in the wine or vermouth and the saffron.
• Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a rapid boil.
• Add mussels. Cover and cook, shaking the pot once or twice, just until they finally begin to open, about 2 minutes more.
• Spoon the mussels into large warm serving bowls and ladle some of the broth over each serving.
• Discard any mussels that didn't open.

MUSSELS WITH TOMATOES & CHILLI

Steps:

• Put the tomatoes in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water, leave for 3 mins, then drain and peel. Quarter the tomatoes and scoop out and discard the seeds using a teaspoon. Roughly chop the tomato flesh.
• Heat the oil in a large pan with a tight- fitting lid. Add the garlic, shallot and chilli, then gently fry for 2-3 mins until softened. Pour in the wine and add the tomatoes, paste, sugar and seasoning (mussels are naturally salty so take care with the salt). Stir well and simmer for 2 mins.
• Tip in the mussels and give them a stir. Cover tightly and steam for 3-4 mins, shaking the pan halfway through, until the shells have opened.
• Discard any shells that remain shut, then divide the mussels between two bowls and add the basil leaves. Provide a large bowl for the empty shells.

MUSSELS WITH TOMATOES, BASIL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Scrub mussels under cold water; pull off hairy beards.
• Discard any that do not close when tapped. Set aside.
• In large non-stick saucepan, heat oil; saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, wine, basil and oregano; cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add mussels; cover and cook until mussels fully open, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Discard any that do not open.
• Arrange mussels in bowls; pour sauce over top.

MUSSELS WITH TOMATO & WHITE WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, melt the butter.
• Add the onions, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and tomatoes, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the wine, parsley, and bring to a boil.
• Add the mussels, cover, and cook until the shells have opened, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and discard any shells that do not open.
• Transfer to a large deep bowl and serve immediately. Make sure to have spoons available as this broth is good!
• Use your nice crusty french bread for dipping.

MUSSELS WITH SAFFRON AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Put the mussels in a large bowl full of water with a large handful of ice and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Allow to mussels to sit in the liquid for 1 hour to disgorge any sand. Lift mussels out of bowl, leaving flour and sand behind. Scrub and debeard mussels. Discard any which are open and do not close when thumped on the counter.
• In a wide braising pan with high sides, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the stock (or wine or water, as you choose) and the saffron. Add mussels and tomatoes to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook until all the mussels are wide open, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard any which fail to open.
• Take the pot off the heat, and stir in the cream. Serve.

MUSSELS WITH TOMATO AND BASIL

Steps:

• Clean the mussels and put them in a large saucepan on high heat. Sprinkle in the white wine, cover and cook until the mussels open. Remove from heat as soon as they have opened, strain off the liquor and keep it.
• Debeard the mussels and discard one-half of each shell. Set the mussels in half-shells on a serving dish.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften the shallots in the olive oil over moderate heat and add about one cup of the mussel cooking liquor.
• Reduce the mussel liquor until it has almost disappeared, then add the tomatoes, heat through and add the garlic. Warm through again to drive off some but not all of the volatility of the garlic, then add the basil, freshly snipped. Add the parsley and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• Heat the mussels through in the oven; don't overdo it or they will toughen. Spoon the sauce into the mussel shells and serve.

MUSSELS WITH TOMATOES, HERBS AND GARLIC (MOULES PROVENçALE)

Steps:

• To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, celery, garlic, basil and bouquet garni, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until softened but not browned.
• Mix in the tomato paste and tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Put the mussels in a casserole dish with the wine, over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes only, until the mussels have opened, stirring frequently to ensure they are evenly cooked.
• Pour off the cooking liquid, discard any mussels that have not opened, and return the opened mussels, in their shells, to the casserole dish.
• Pour the hot tomato sauce over the mussels and heat through. Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve at once.