Sarasotas Creamy Mussels Over Pasta With Herb Bread Food

SARASOTA'S CREAMY MUSSELS OVER PASTA WITH HERB BREAD

Steps:

• Base Flavors -- In a large sauce pan or pot, add the butter and melt on medium high heat. Add the garlic, fennel, onion and leek and cook until slightly tender (about 4-5 minutes). Deglaze the pan with the brandy (and remember to remove from the heat when you add alcohol), then add the wine and broth, tomatoes, red pepper, lemon juice, salt (go lightly mussels have a salty quality) and pepper. Let the broth warm up and cook another 5 minutes on medium (not boiling, just a light simmer).
• Mussels -- Add in the mussels and cover. They will take around 10 minutes for that many mussels, stir occasionally. Cook until they all open.
• Just remember - Don't add any mussels to the pot that are already open (and when tapped, they don't close), and if they are cracked, toss them.
• Finishing -- As the mussels cook, toast up the bread and slather with the herb butter and a dash of the paprika. Cook the pasta according to directions (angel hair takes only minutes).
• Mussels -- Finish the mussels by adding in the parsley, chives and cream. Keep on medium and cook another minute or two until the sauce is warm. Stir to get all the flavors mixed throughout.
• Serving -- Just serve the mussels in a large serving bowl with all the broth. Make sure each person has a bowl for their pasta and plenty of the broth from the mussels and crunchy bread to soak up all that flavor. OUTSTANDING!
• NOTE: As one reviewer mentioned they didn't make the bread, but did suggest that you do. The pasta and bread is key for this. It is a thinner sauce almost like a Japanese noodle bowl so the pasta and bread are used to soak up all the sauce and flavors. Even though it is creamy, the sauce is thinner which is why the bread and pasta are key for this.

CREAMY GARLICKY MUSSELS

Steps:

• Scrub the mussels with a vegetable brush under running water; discard any with broken shells or that remain opened when tapped. In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the olive oil. Add the garlic, thyme, and lemon slices and cook until everything has softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the mussels and stir to coat them with all the flavors. Add the wine, then the chicken broth; cover the pot and steam for 10 to 12 minutes until the mussels open. Remove the mussels from the pot. Take the meat out of 10 of the mussels and put them back into the pot along with the remaining butter. Using an immersion blender, buzz the liquid until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy; taste and adjust seasoning. Divide the remaining mussels among the serving bowls and spoon over the sauce.
• Serve with plenty of crusty French bread to dip in the sauce.

LINGUINE WITH MUSSELS AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides. Cook garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, stirring, until garlic is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mussels and cook, covered, shaking pot occasionally, just until mussels open wide, 5 to 8 minutes. (Discard any that remain unopened after 8 minutes.) Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, cook linguine in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain linguine.
• Toss linguine with mussels and any liquid from pot, cheese, and herbs. Thin with reserved cooking water if desired.

SPICY STEAMED MUSSELS WITH GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• Brush 1 teaspoon oil onto each slice of bread. Toast until brown and crisp. Rub both sides (one side if using baguette) with whole garlic. Cut bread in half on the diagonal. Heat remaining 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sliced garlic, scallions and salt, stirring occasionally, until scallions and garlic color slightly, about 5 minutes. Add mussels, tomato puree, wine and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until mussels open, 1 to 2 minutes. (Discard any mussels that don't open.) Uncover pan and add herbs; toss to combine. Divide mussels evenly among 4 bowls and spoon broth over them. Serve each with toast.

PASTA SHELLS WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, saute the red pepper and garlic in butter and oil until tender. Drain pasta; add to pepper mixture. Add the remaining ingredients; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

MUSSELS AND PASTA WITH CREAMY WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes.
• Place mussel meat in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
• Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Gently warm the mussels until they release their water, about 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
• Wipe out the skillet with paper towels. Melt remaining 3 teaspoons butter in the skillet. Cut any large mushrooms into smaller pieces. Add to the skillet and sprinkle with pepper. Cook until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour wine into the skillet, add red pepper flakes, and cook until wine has reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in cream and add mussels. Heat until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Use tongs to lift linguine out of the pot and add to the skillet with some of the cooking water. Toss to coat with sauce. Plate and garnish with lemon zest.

COLD AND CREAMY MUSSEL SOUP

Steps:

• Prepare mussels by debearding and rinse them well. Place them in a pot that has a lid. Add the water, cover, and bring to as boil over high heat. Steam the mussels for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they open and are just cooked. They should be tender.
• Remove mussels from the cooking pot with a slotted spoon and set them aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through several layers of cheesecloth and reserve one cup of it (freeze the rest for other uses).
• Remove the meat from the shells and discard the shells.
• To prepare the soup, whisk the yogurt in a large bowl until it is smooth, then stir in the cup of reserved cooking liquid, mustard, sugar, pepper, 4 teaspoons of the tarragon, and the Pernod. Add the mussel meat. Chill the soup; add the diced cucumber before serving and serve in shallow bowls, each garnished with 1/2 teaspoons of the remaining tarragon.