Sunday, August 3, 2008

Mussels in Spicy Broth

Sometimes, just hearing a word inspires me to make something delightful. This weekend the word was mussels. I kept hearing the word everywhere from Good Food to that crazy Anne Burrell chick on Food Net. I picked up some mussels at the farmer's market and thought about what combination of flavors I wanted. I decided to go with a pretty classic and straightforward mix and the results were amazing. It was so easy and fast - only about 20 minutes from start to finish (there you go AGAIN, Rachael Ray!!), and it made my apartment smell terrific. The only regret was not having enough bread to soak up all the delicious broth.


Mussels in Spicy Broth

1 lb mussels, cleaned and de-bearded*
organic, extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
6 cloves (yes, I said SIX) garlic, minced
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/4 c parsley
1 c dry white wine (I used leftover Pinot Grigio)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
crusty bread, sliced and toasted (I used leftover Ciabatta)

Heat a large and deep skillet over low heat. Pour enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until the shallots and garlic are softened, but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 the parsley and cook for about one minute. Add mussels and wine, stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pan and let mussels steam for about 5 minutes. Pour mussels in a large bowl and top with the broth, garnish with remaining parsley and serve with bread.

*When you bring the mussels home, run them through cold water and place them in a bowl with ice or leave the bowl in the refrigerator. Make sure all the mussels are closed. If one is open, give it a tap and if it closes, it is ok to use, but if it remains open, toss it out. Once the mussels are cooked, toss out any that did not open.

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7 comments:

musicbleep said...

ewww....the only mussels I like are on men! The picture is beautiful and almost makes me wanna try it, but I might gag! And if I'm gonna gag it's not gonna be from those thangs...

xoxo

eatingclubvancouver_js said...

I love mussels, especially in a spicy broth! Great pics.

Teresa Cordero Cordell said...

Hi Esi. I"m so glad you stopped by my site. I've been meaning to get back to yours but my crazy 18 year old daughter is driving me crazy right now getting ready for a new semester at college. I love farmers markets. I feel I can trust the quality of their produce better than I can at the supermarket. And I will definitely give these mussels a go. Talk to you again soon.

Anonymous said...

Mussels in spicy sauce is one of my favorite dishes! I never knew how much I liked mussels until last year but they're sooo good. Check out this delicious mussel pasta dish I had at Francesca's. Yours look beautiful too!

Nate @ House of Annie said...

I love having to sop up the sauce with bread. so tasty.

Madeline said...

I love mussels. This looks like a great simple recipe and you can't go wrong with that.

Anonymous said...

I love mussels, but have never had them in a spicy broth! I am going to have to try this over the weekend.