Grilled Mussels With Simmered Tomatoes Over Couscous Recipes

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.

COUSCOUS WITH MUSSELS AND SHRIMP

Steps:

• Heat oil on medium in a 4-quart sauté pan. Add chorizo and let it sizzle a minute or two. Stir in onion, garlic and Espelette and cook until onion is soft. Stir in paprika, salt and tomatoes. Simmer gently about 5 minutes, until tomatoes soften and release their juices. Stir in couscous and cook a few minutes until all ingredients are well-combined.
• Add shrimp, folding them in with the rest of the ingredients. Stir in vermouth and stock. Let the liquid come to a simmer. Taste liquid for seasoning and adjust salt and Espelette. Add mussels and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until mussels open, from 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 5 minutes. The couscous should be tender and should have absorbed most of the liquid.
• Serve directly from the sauté pan or pile the contents on a big, warm platter. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

MUSSELS WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the couscous and cook as the label directs. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add 1 1/2 cups water, the mussels and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes (discard any that do not open). Remove with a slotted spoon and divide among bowls. Add the couscous and spinach to the liquid in the pot and heat through, about 1 minute; season with salt. Add the couscous mixture to the bowls and sprinkle with the basil.

GRILLED MUSSELS WITH SIMMERED TOMATOES OVER COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Position a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Holding the tomatoes over the strainer, scoop out the seeds, letting the juice and seeds fall into the strainer. Press the seeds with a ladle to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the seeds and set the juice aside. Halve the tomato quarters and set them aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. Add the wine and tomato juice and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Set the tomato mixture aside, covered.
• Put the couscous in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then cover and set aside.
• Just before cooking, clean the mussels. Gently tap any open shells against a countertop and wait a minute for the shell to close. If the shell stays open, the mussel is dead and must be discarded. Remove the little thistle of fiber, called the beard, that sticks out of the shell by yanking it toward the narrow end of the mussel. Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water and stir in a handful of salt. Soak the mussels in the water for 30 minutes, then lift them out, leaving the debris behind, and set them in a colander.
• Heat a grill and place the mussels between the grates. Grill until the mussels are open and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
• To serve, put a scoop of couscous on a plate, followed by the tomatoes, then the mussels. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil. Garnish with the parsley.