I love mussels. Unfortunately, not everyone can prepare them very well. There are many reasons for this. I follow a few basic rules and always prepare the most delicious mussels. First, it is simply imperative that the mussels are alive. When you buy them, see if they get them out of water or are covered in ice. Always want to smell. This applies to any fish product. If the smell is unpleasant, do not buy. When buying the mussels, ask for ice to put on the mussels on your way home. At home, immediately put the mussels in cold water and prepare as quickly as possible. When you put the mussels in water, one of them will open slightly. Take a fork and tap on the shell, if the clam closes it means it is still alive.
Secondly, mussel sauce is the most important part of the preparation of mussels. Without sauce, mussels are no big deal. The main rule of mussel sauces is that there should be acid. The sauce I will share in this recipe is made with tomatoes, wine, lemon and broth of shrimp and vegetables. The recipe itself I learned from a chef in the restaurant where I ate the most delicious mussels in sauce. I hope you will appreciate them too.
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You Need:
| Ingredients: | Amount: |
|---|---|
| Mussels. | 1 1/2 pound. |
| Garlic. | 7 cloves. |
| Salt. | To taste |
| Olive Oil. | 3 tbsp |
| Fresh Parsley. | 2 tbsp. |
| Shallots. | 1/3 cup. |
| Lemon juice. | 2 lemons |
| Roma Tomatoes. | 3 |
| Red Papper Flakes. | 1/2 tsp |
| White Wine. | 1/2 cup- |
For the Seafood Broth (IT IS NOT MANDATORY, BUT WILL GIVE AN ADDITIONAL TASTE TO THE DISH AND CAN BE USED FOR OTHER FISH DISHES):
:
| Seasonings: | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2. Carrot . | 1. |
| 2. Celery. | 1 stalk . |
| 3. Onion . | 1. |
| 3. Mushroom Stumps . | 1/2 pound. |
| 3. Bay Leaf . | 1. |
| 3. Parsley Bouquet . | 1. |
| 3. Water . | 6-7 cups. |
| 3. Shrimp skin and Heads . | 1 1/2 pound. |
| 3. Lobster Bodies . | 1 1/2 Pounds. |
| 4 Salt and Black Pepper Corns. | 1/4 tsp. |
Instructions:
Cut two tomatoes into quarters, Cut the shallots in halves and peel the garlic cloves. Arrange everything in an pan, sprinkle with salt, pepper to taste, a tablespoon of olive oil and put in a preheated oven on 325-350 F. Bake until the tomatoes, onions and garlic are slightly chard.
If you really value food and like to eat a gourmet dishes like me, I recommend making the seafood broth. It is not mandatory, but it will give a very pleasant taste, and you can put it in the freezer and use in other seafood recipes.
For the Broth:
Cut one carrot, celery stalk and onion into large pieces. Put the chopped vegetables in water, adding a bay leaf, the parsley bouquet, black pepper corns and salt, the lobster bodies, heads and flakes of a dozen shrimp and the mushroom stumps. Leave everything on a medium heat for about 1 hour. The liquid must have reduced its size in half. After the broth is done let it cool down a little bit and sift through a fine sifter. When you have your broth ready put it aside.
In a Large stockpot over medium heat add 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the finely chop cloves of garlic, shallots and the remain roma tomato for 1 minute or until they became translucent. Add the mussels and then deglaze with white wine and squeeze half a lemon. Ad to the pot pre-baked tomatoes, onions, garlic, finely chopped parsley, red pepper flakes and 1/2. cup of the Seafood Broth. Cover and leave until the mussels open. As soon as the mussels open, stir carefully and cook for additional 2-3 minutes without a lid. Remove from the fire. If necessary adjust seasoning. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh toasted Ciabatta Bread or Baguette.
You can pear this amazing appetizer dish with Rombauer Chardonnay.
Enjoy!
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