Mussels With Mint Chiles And Bacon Food

SPAGHETTI WITH MUSSELS AND BACON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and shallots and cook until the bacon starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and red pepper flakes, increase the heat to high and cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands, and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label directs; drain. Pile the parsley, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt on a cutting board and use a large knife to mince and mash them together.
• Add the mussels to the tomato sauce and stir to coat, then cover. As the mussels open (2 to 6 minutes), use tongs to transfer them to a bowl; discard any that do not open. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the parsley-garlic mixture and toss. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with the mussels.

MUSSELS STEAMED WITH CIDER & BACON

Steps:

• PREPARATION: Raw mussels MUST be alive when you cook them, so careful preparation is key. Wash them under cold running water until it runs clear, and scrub if necessary. Pull the 'beard' away from each individual mussel - this is the byssus thread, a protein the mussel 'spins' so it can attach itself to rock or rope. Drain and then check; if the shell is tightly shut, this is a good indication that it's alive. If the mussel is open, tap it sharply for a few seconds - if it is alive, it will close. Discard any that appear to be dead as they can decompose very rapidly, and eating one that you aren't sure of is not worth the risk. Don't check them too far in advance; cook within a few minutes to be on the safe side.
• Heat the butter in a pan large enough to easily fit the mussels, then fry the bacon for 4 mins, turning occasionally until it starts becoming crisp. Throw in the shallots and thyme leaves, then cook for 1 min until softened. Whack the heat up to maximum and add the mussels to the pan, then pour over the cider. Place the lid on the pan, give it a good shake, then cook the mussels for 5-7 mins, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that haven't.
• Use a slotted spoon to scoop the mussels into bowls and place the pan back on the heat. Bring the juices to the boil and stir in the crème fraîche, if using. Pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve with hunks of crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
• COOKING TIPS: Mussels are most often steamed open over a small amount of flavoured liquid, as in Moules marinière, although they can also be oven roasted and are particularly good cooked 'en papillote' (in a bag). Wine, stock, beer and cider are all great for cooking mussels, but take care not to add salt to the liquid as mussel juice can be very salty. Drop the mussels into the liquid, cover with a tight-fitting lid, then cook until they have opened and the meat has settled into one side of the shell; this usually takes 3-4 minutes. Avoid overcooking as the meat shrivels and becomes tough. Check them all again before serving and discard any that haven't opened. If a mussel is unopened at this stage, this indicates that it was already dead. You will probably notice the colour of the meat varies between beige and orange. This is an indication of sex - beige for male and orange for female; there is no difference in flavour. Once cooked, mussels are usually lifted into a bowl and the cooking liquor is reduced by simmering. Pull the meat from one shell and then use that shell as a pincer to remove meat from the rest. Serve simply with crusty bread - lovely!

MUSSELS WITH BACON, SHALLOTS, AND APPLE

Steps:

• Cook bacon over a medium high heat in a wide saucepan until rendered and crisp. Drain off some of the fat. Add shallots and apple. Cook until slightly caramelized. Add mussels and stir to coat. Deglaze with white wine, apple cider, and vinegar. Reduce slightly. Add cream, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until all the mussels are open and the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened. Serve in the pan or transfer to a large, wide bowl. Serve with toasted country bread.

BAKED MUSSELS WITH MUSHROOMS AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
• Put mussels, pilsner and cream in a large pot, cover with a lid, bring to a boil and steam for 2 to 3 minutes, or until mussels have opened.
• Remove from heat and drain, reserving cooking liquid in a bowl and discarding any mussels whose shells remain closed.
• Strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve, place in a pan and boil for 5 minutes or until thickened. Reserve for sauce.
• Remove mussels from shells, separate top and bottom halves of shells, discarding top halves. Reserve remaining shells and mussels separately.
• Melt butter over high heat in a large skillet. Sauté shallots, smoked bacon and mushrooms for 3 minutes, or until bacon is cooked and vegetables are soft.
• Combine vegetable mixture with reserved mussels, reduced cooking liquid and chopped parsley.
• Spoon mussels and mixture into reserved mussel shells. Place in a baking dish, top with grated cheese (at this point you can refrigerate for up to 24 hours until ready to serve) and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and mussels are warmed through.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

MUSSELS WITH BACON AND WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Clean the mussels and discard any that don't close when sharply tapped.
• Place the mussels in a large saucepan and cover with the wine. Cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, until the mussels are open. Transfer them to a bowl and discard any that do not open. Strain the cooking liquid into a separate bowl to remove any grit or impurities and set this and the mussels aside.
• Melt half the butter in a pan over a low heat and add the shallots and garlic.
• Add the bacon, increase the heat to medium and cook for a few minutes until the bacon is crisp.
• Now add the tomatoes and cook until softened.
• Mash the flour and the remaining butter in a bowl, then add this mixture to the pan, piece by piece. At the same time, slowly add the mussel cooking liquid. If you find that the sauce is too thick, add a little water to loosen the mixture.
• Reheat the mussels in the sauce, then sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately with some crusty bread.