Mussels Picante Recipes

MEJILLONES CON SALSA PICANTE (MUSSELS IN SPICY SAUCE)

Steps:

• Peel and chop the onion and put it to soften in a pan with a little oil. Chop the green pepper and add it.
• Add a little salt and a little sugar (to the same extent), to remove the acidity.
• When they start to turn brown, chop the tomatoes and incorporate along with the two cayenne peppers.
• Cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes.
• Blend with an electric mixer and set aside.
• Clean the mussels.
• Place in a pan, pour a glass of white wine, cover and cook until they open.
• Once opened, remove the mussels to a platter and keep warm.
• Strain the stock through a cheese cloth.
• Reserve the broth.
• Remove empty mussels and reserve the other mussels.
• Peel and rolled the garlic cloves and put them to fry in a pan with a little oil.
• Add a tablespoon of flour and cooking.
• Pour a glass of mussel broth and tomato sauce.
• Mix and incorporates the mussels.
• Cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes.
• Serve in bowls and garnish with a sprig of parsley.

LOUISIANA MUSSEL "SAUCE PIQUANTE" WITH GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• Scrub mussels well and remove beards. Finely chop onion, celery, and bell pepper. In a 6- to 8-quart heavy kettle melt butter over moderately low heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, stirring constantly, until color of peanut butter, about 6 minutes. Stir in vegetables and cook, covered, until soft. Stir in tomato paste, broth, tomatoes with juice, and cayenne and bring mixture to a boil, breaking up tomatoes. Simmer sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until thickened.
• While sauce is simmering, make garlic bread:
• Preheat broiler.
• Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch salt. In a small saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and stir in garlic paste. Halve bread horizontally and brush garlic butter on cut sides. On a baking sheet broil bread about 4 inches from heat until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir mussels into sauce and simmer, covered, 4 to 8 minutes, or until mussels are opened. (Discard any unopened mussels after 8 minutes.) Divide mussels between 2 bowls.
• Season sauce with salt and ladle over mussels. Serve bread on the side.

MUSSELS WITH SPICY TOMATO-CHILI SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in tomato paste, black bean sauce and jalapeños, then tomatoes and fish stock. Bring to boil. Add mussels. Cover and cook until mussels open, about 6 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open). Ladle mussels and tomato mixture into bowls and serve.

COZZE PICCANTI FREDDE

Steps:

• In a large pot over a lively flame, bring the wine to a simmer and add the mussels, poaching them, and removing them to a large bowl as they open. When all the mussels have opened, reduce the cooking liquor to 3/4 cup and set it aside. When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the flesh from the shells to a holding plate. Discard the shells.
• In a very large sauté pan over a medium flame, warm the olive oil and soften the garlic, taking care not to color it. Rinse the anchovies. Remove the anchovies' heads and bones, dry on paper towels, and crush lightly with a fork. Add the anchovies and the chile, tossing them about in the oil for a minute or two before adding the mussels, the reduced cooking liquor, and the vinegar. Permit the mussels to simmer gently for a minute or two. Set the mussels aside to cool.
• When the mussels have cooled, transfer them to a large bowl, cover them tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Toss with the parsley and present the mussels as an antipasto or a main dish with olive-oil-oven-toasted bread and cold white wine.
• These two recipes (page 75) from Napoli's cucina povera are ministrations for the dispirited, dishes to stay the ogres. Conjured from almost nothing, yet giving forth perfumes of security and nostalgia, they promise comfort, they stimulate, revive, as might the flump of a cork being slipped from its bottle or a kiss, hung softly and low on the nape of the neck.

SPICY MUSSELS WITH MEXICAN SEASONINGS

Steps:

• Scrub and debeard the mussels.
• In a saucepan large enough to hold the mussels with room to spare heat three tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion, scallions and garlic and saute over low heat until tender.
• Add the tomatoes and jalapeno peppers and bring to a simmer. Stir in the mussels and add the wine. Return to a simmer, cover and cook over medium heat until the mussels have opened, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the mussels to individual bowls, discarding any that have not opened. Add the lime juice and coriander to the sauce, pour over the mussels and serve.