Accidental Hedonist

The first official Sicilian recipe on this site is perhaps the easiest…Lemon and mussels.

I think I’m in love with this dish. Firstly, I’m already well acquainted with mussels, as there’s a fair amount available right here in the Puget Sound area.

Secondly, this is one of those dishes that take absolutely no time to make. On a busy day, this is a perfect dish to finish off the evening.

Quick note: You want to bring out your higher quality olive oil, as it plays an integral part in the flavors.

• 2 lbs fresh mussels
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Steam your mussels over boiling water. As they start to open, whisk together in a small bowl the juice of the lemon, the olive oil, salt, pepper and the parsley.

When the mussels are cooked, remove the top part of the shell and place on a plate. Drizzle the lemon/olive oil over top.

Serves 6

Technorati Tags: food, recipes, mussels, Italian Food, seafood

*sigh* What was I thinking putting black shelled mussels in a black bowl? The picture up above has to be one of the poorer quality pics I have taken for this site. That says a lot.

Perhaps it’s just a problem with taking photos of bivalves.

Anyway, this was a great recipe, helped by the fact that I love mussels. The wine and chicken stock added a sweetness to the mussels that made me very, very happy. Sure, it’s bad writing, but it’s damn near the only way to explain how much I enjoyed this dish. Me + mussels = contented bliss.

• 2 1/2 lbs of fresh mussels
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 yellow onion sliced
• 1/4 cup minced ginger (NOT ginger powder)
• Lemon zest from one lemon
• 1 Tablespoon chopped lemon grass
• 3/4 cup Riesling
• 2 cups chicken stock (or fish stock if you have it)
• 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 Tablespoon Madras Curry Powder
• 1 Tablespoons Thai Chili Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Fish sauce
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup chopped chives

First and foremost, wash and debeared your mussels.

In a large stock pot (I recommend using a pasta pot, as there’s a built in strainer), melt 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add sliced onions, ginger, lemon grass and lemon zest and cook until translucent (about 12-15 minutes).

When onions are cooked, pour in Riesling and turn the heat up to high. Allow to boil and reduce by 1/3. Lower heat and add stock, coconut milk, curry powder, chili paste and fish sauce. Lower heat to medium, and bring the broth to a boil. Put mussels into a strainer and place in pot. Cover with a lid or seal well with aluminum foil. Cook for 7-10 minutes, depending on size of mussel meats.

Using tongs, place mussles in serving bowl, discarding any mussels that have not opened. Ladle broth over top and serve with fresh bread with lemon butter. It’s mussel-ly goodness.

Serves 2-4