Innkeepers Mussel Chowder Food

TOBY'S MUSSEL CHOWDER

Steps:

• Place wine, butter, garlic, and 1 tablespoon basil in a stockpot and brings to a simmer. Add mussels and steam, covered, over high heat, for 8 to 12 minutes. Check to see when shells begin to open, be careful not to overcook. When mussels open, remove them from the heat, and drain, reserving liquid. Set mussels aside to cool, discarding any unopened mussels. When cool, remove meat from shells, chop coarsely, and refrigerate until needed.
• In a stockpot, over medium-high heat, saute bacon until fat is rendered and bacon begins to brown. Add onions, celery and cook until onions turn translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add potatoes and thyme and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add stock or clam juice, reserved mussel liquid, remaining 1 tablespoon basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft and begin to thicken chowder. Add milk, chopped mussels and bring back to simmer. Reheat for 2 to 3 minutes. Check for seasoning. Serve with garlic bread.

LIGHTLY CURRIED MUSSEL CHOWDER

Steps:

• Clean and debeard the mussels. Stem them open. Strain the broth; you should have 4 cups of broth (and 1 pound of mussel meat). Cover the shelled mussels and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced salt pork. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the salt pork is a crisp golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cracklings to a small ovenproof dish, leaving the fat in the pot, and reserve until later.
• Add the butter, ginger, garlic, bell pepper, onion, curry powder, and cayenne pepper to the pot and saute, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until the pepper and onion are softened but not browned.
• Add the white potatoes and the reserved mussel broth, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook the potatoes vigorously for 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes. The broth should just barely cover the potatoes; if it doesn't, add enough water to cover. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes longer, until the white and sweet potatoes are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the broth hasn't thickened lightly, smash a few potatoes and sweet potatoes against the side of the pot and cook a minute or two longer to release their starch.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mussels and cream. Mussels are not as salty as clams, but you will still need to exercise a light hand as you season the chowder with salt. Add black pepper to taste. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.
• When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don't let it boil. Warm the cracklings in a low oven (200 degrees F) for a few minutes.
• Ladle the chowder into cups or bowls, making sure that the mussels, bell pepper, onion, and potatoes are evenly divided. Scatter the cracklings over the individual servings and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and scallions.

INNKEEPER'S MUSSEL CHOWDER

Steps:

• Scrub mussels in cool water and pull off beards; discard any whose shells don't close when tapped.
• In an 8- to 10-quart pan, combine mussels and wine; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium heat until mussels open, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Pour into a colander set in a large bowl to collect juices.
• Let mussels stand until cool enough to touch.
• Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Peel and chop onion. Rinse celery and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• In the pan used for mussels, melt butter over medium heat.
• Add onion and celery; stir often until onion is limp, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add curry powder and basil; stir until spices become more fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Pour mussel juices from bowl into pan.
• Add tomato sauce, cream, and potatoes.
• Turn heat to high; when mixture is boiling, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove mussels from shells; discard shells.
• Add mussels to soup; cover and simmer just until mussels are hot, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Ladle into bowls.

MUSSEL CHOWDER

Steps:

• Pour reserved mussel cooking liquid through a fine sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into a bowl. Set aside 24 mussels in their shells, then shuck remainder and halve them crosswise.
• Wash chopped leeks in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
• Cook leeks, carrots, bell peppers, and shallot with salt and pepper in butter and oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, uncovered, stirring, 1 minute. Add strained mussel cooking liquid and wine and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir in halved mussels and cream and simmer, stirring, 5 minutes. Add reserved mussels in their shells and simmer until just heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

MUSSEL CHOWDER

Steps:

• Pour reserved mussel cooking liquid through a fine sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into a bowl.
• Set aside 24 mussels in their shells, then shuck the remaining mussels and halve them crosswise.
• Wash the chopped leeks in a bowl of cold water. Then lift out and drain well.
• Cook leeks, carrots, bell peppers and shallot with salt and pepper in the butter and oil in a 5 quart heavy pot over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, uncovered, stirring 1 minute. Add the strained mussel cooking liquid and wine and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir in halved mussels and cream and simmer, until just heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

MUSSEL CHOWDER

Steps:

• Place 1 cup of wine, the water and the lemon juice in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat, add the mussels, cover and steam, shaking the pot from time to time, until the mussels open, about 7 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Pull the mussels from the shells and refrigerate. Reserve the broth.
• Melt the butter in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 4 minutes longer. Add the mussel broth and the remaining wine and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Turn the heat to low and stir in the milk and cream. With the liquid barely at a simmer, cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the saffron and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the mussels, salt and pepper and cook just until the mussels are warmed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the basil. Serve immediately.