Oven-Roasted Mussels

Steamed...grilled...in savory tarts--just a few of the ways I enjoy preparing (and feasting on) mussels.  For a slight twist, I added oven-roasting to the list this past weekend. Filling my favorite cast-iron skillet with the mussels and their accompanying marinade (aka bread-sopping goodness) of tomatoes, garlic, white wine, olive oil, chili flakes, parsley, salt and pepper, and returning minutes later to perfectly scrumptious fare, cemented this as a definite keeper in my repertoire. 

Easy to prepare, elegant, and worth the savor, mussels remain one of my favorite seafood gems.

Happy Eating!

Oven-Roasted Mussels
Recipe courtesy of the New York Times

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds black mussels

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 pound roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Clean the mussels. Inspect each one carefully and discard any that have opened (if some are partly open, tap them with your finger, and if they close back up they are O.K.) or have cracked shells. Place in a large bowl, fill the bowl with cold water and rinse several times, swishing the mussels around in the water, pouring out the water and refilling. Clean the shells, if necessary, with a brush or the end of one of the mussels, and pull out the beards – the hairy attachments emerging from the shells. Do not do this until just before cooking, or the mussels will die and spoil. 

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the mussels. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Arrange the mussels, pointed ends up, in a single layer in a cast iron skillet and/or a heavy baking dish. Spoon the marinade left in the bowl over the mussels and place in the preheated oven. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until most of the mussels have opened.  Remove from the heat and discard any mussels that have not opened.  Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Mussel-Artichoke Tart

Mussel-Artichoke Tart

Most people who know me know that Marcus Samuelsson is one of my favorite chefs.  Having had the pleasure of meeting and (briefly) cooking with him, as well as feasting on his signature cuisine, have all made for life-time memories that I'll cherish and provided great inspiration for me as a food lover.

After adding his latest cookbook, New American Table, to my cookbook collection, the first recipe I made was the Mussel-Artichoke Tart.  From the homemade buttery tart shell to the decadent mussels, and everything in between, it was love at first bite--and every bite thereafter.

The recipe comes together nicely, however you'll want to allow yourself ample time to allow the tart dough to chill (about an hour and a half total) before filling or baking. 

Get ready to add a new favorite to your repertoire! 

Happy Eating!

Mussel-Artichoke Tart
8 Servings (Makes One 10-inch Tart)

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes cut into quarters
5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the sheet pan
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
One 14-ounce can artichoke hearts cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
3 red onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped 
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 poblano chiles, seeds and ribs removed and chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Buttery Tart Shell (see recipe below)
1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (*you can replace the mozzarella with creamy goat cheese for an equally delicious tart)  
One 6 1/2-ounce can preserved mussels
4 basil leaves torn into small pieces
1 cup baby arugula

1. Preheat oven to 2oo degrees F.  

2. Place the quartered tomatoes on a lightly oiled sheet pan.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes.  Bake for 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are dried and wrinkled.  Set aside.  Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

3. To prepare the filling, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat.  Add the artichokes and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes on each side.  Remove the artichokes with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.

4. Using the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.  Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, and chiles.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper and simmer until the filling begins to thicken, another 20 minutes.

5. To assemble the tart, spread the tomato mixture over the bottom of the prebaked tart shell.  Cover with a layer of mozzarella slices and arrange the artichokes and oven-dried tomatoes on top.  Bake until the mozzarella is golden and begins to bubble, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

6. Place the mussels on top of the tart and sprinkle with the basil and arugula.  Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

Buttery Tart Shell
(Makes One 10-inch Tart Shell)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. To make the dough by hand, combine the flour, salt, and Parmesan in a large bowl.  Using your fingertips, a pastry cutter, or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the water, stirring with a fork just until the dough starts to come together.  If necessary, add a little more water, about 1 teaspoon at a time.  To make the dough in a food processor, combine the flour and salt in the processor and pulse once or twice to mix.  Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces, scatter the pieces over the flour, and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the water, pulsing just until the dough starts to come together.  If necessary, add a little more water, about 1 teaspoon at a time.

2.  Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a disk.  Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour hour before rolling.

3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 12 1/2-inch round.  Fit the round into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, being careful not to stretch the dough.  Trim the edges of the dough.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before filling or baking.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  To prebake the tart shell, line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill it with dried beans, uncooked rice, or pie weights.  Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and weights.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool on a wire rack.
     

 

Mussels in White Wine

Mussels in White Wine

On a night in several Sundays back, I whipped up a delicious bowl of mussels steamed in a white wine broth.  I love seafood of (almost) every variety.  And mussels have become a favorite in recent years.  I enjoy grilling them, adding them to savory tarts--and oh yes, steaming them in flavorful, bread-sopping broths.

This recipe combines such robust flavors as saffron, tomatoes, thyme and garlic (just to name a few).  All together, they create a spicy broth that serves as the perfect "bath" for the mussels--and makes for the perfect excuse to dip warm, crusty bread, which is a not-to-be-forgotten plus of making and enjoying this meal.

Versatile enough to be served as an appetizer course or main entree, this dish serves up one delicious bite after another and kept me coming back for more until the bowl was literally clean!

Happy Eating!

Mussels in White Wine
Recipe adapted from Barefoot In Paris

 *Cook's Note:  The recipe was prepared to serve 2 and can be easily adapted to the original recipe which serves 6.

2.5 pounds mussels
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced 
1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes, drained (4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  

Clean the mussels by putting them in a large bowl and covering with ~1.5 to 2 quarts of water and the flour and soak for 30 minutes.  Drain the mussels and remove the "beard" from each.  If they're dirty, scrub them with a brush under running water.  Discard any mussels whose shells aren't tightly shut.  Soak the saffron in 1/4 cup hot tap water for 15 minutes and set aside.

In a large dutch oven or stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, or until the shallots are translucent.  Add the saffron with the soaking water, the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, wine, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.

Add the mussels, stir well, then cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until all the mussels are opened (discard any that do not open).  With the lid on, shake the pot once or twice to be sure the mussels don't burn on the bottom.  Pour the mussels and the sauce into a large bowl and serve hot.