Steamed Mussels With Pernod Celery Root And Saffron Aïoli Food

STEAMED MUSSELS

Steps:

• Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Discard any with broken shells. Heat oil in a 6 to 8-quart stockpot. Saute the shallot, garlic and thyme to create a base flavor. Add the mussels and give them a good toss. Add wine, lemon juice, chicken broth and red pepper flakes; cover the pot and steam over medium-high for 5 minutes until the mussels open. Toss in the tomato, parsley and butter, recover the pot, and steam for another minute to soften. The tomatoes should keep their shape. Serve with plenty of grilled garlic bread to sop up the broth.

MUSSELS WITH PERNOD AND CREAM

Steps:

• Combine sliced leeks, dry white wine and red bell pepper in large pot. Add mussels. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover pot and cook until mussels open, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer mussels to medium bowl (discard any mussels that do not open). Add whipping cream and Pernod to pot; boil until liquid is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Mix in chopped parsley. Return mussels and any accumulated juices to pot. Simmer until mussels are warmed through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. Serve mussels with broth.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH PERNOD, CELERY ROOT AND SAFFRON AïOLI

Steps:

• Make aioli:
• Combine 1 tablespoon hot water and saffron in medium bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in mayonnaise and garlic. Season to taste with salt. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Make mussels:
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add celery root, leek, carrots, chopped celery and 4 tablespoons parsley. Stir to coat. Cover pot and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add mussels, wine and Pernod. Increase heat to high. Cover and cook until mussels open, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open). Remove from heat. Season cooking liquid to taste with salt and pepper.
• Whisk 1/2 cup cooking liquid into aioli to make thin sauce. Ladle mussels and remaining cooking liquid into 6 bowls. Drizzle each serving with some aioli. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve mussels, passing re-maining aioli separately.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH SPICY RED PEPPER AIOLI

Steps:

• To make the aioli: Place the red pepper on an open flame or grill. Turn to blacken on all sides. When fully charred, remove to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let pepper cool, until you can handle it comfortably. Using your fingers, remove blackened skin to reveal the red color underneath. (A paper towel will wipe off what you can't remove with your fingers.) Coarsely chop the pepper and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Add the yolks, garlic, vinegar, chili paste, and salt to taste. Puree until the mixture is homogeneous. While the machine is running VERY slowly drizzle in the oil, until incorporated. Check the aioli for texture and flavor. If it's too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it down, or on the flip side if it's too thin add more oil. The desired outcome is a fairly thin aioli. Check the flavor and add more salt or chili paste, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• To cook the mussels: In a pot, large enough to accommodate all the mussels, generously coat with olive oil. Add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook the onions until they are very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook for another 2 to3 minutes. Stir to be sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the mussels and stir to coat with the oil. Add the wine and cover the pot. Steam the mussels for 5 to 6 minutes or until all the shells open. If some shells don't open, cook them for a little longer. Sometimes the freshest mussels are the most stubborn to open. Remove the mussels that don't open after longer cooking. When in doubt, throw out.
• While the mussels are steaming, grill or toast the slices of bread.
• Serve the mussels in individual bowls with lots of the juice from the bottom of the pot. Generously drizzle each bowl with the aioli. Garnish with toast. (You may want to have more toasted bread on hand to sop up the delicious liquid!)
• *RAW EGG WARNING
• Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH WINE AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Holding mussels under cool running water, scrub with a stiff sponge or vegetable brush, then debeard: grip the tough fibers extending from the shell and pull to remove. Discard beards.
• Steep saffron in wine for 10 minutes. (Saffron is soluble in water, not fat, so it won't release its color or flavor if added directly to the butter.) Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat in a shallow stockpot. Once it's foamy, add shallots, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until shallots are transparent and garlic is soft, about 3 minutes, stirring every so often to keep garlic from scorching. Pour in wine and saffron, then add tomatoes and return to a simmer, stirring once or twice.
• Add mussels and cover tightly. Cook until all mussels open, about 6 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Discard any unopened mussels. If using wild mussels, strain broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove any sand, if necessary. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with parsley before ladling mussels and broth into bowls.

STEAMED MUSSELS IN SAFFRON BROTH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy, three-quart saucepan. Add the onion, fennel and garlic, cover and sweat over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the saffron, tomato puree, wine, stock, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for one hour. Strain.
• Just before serving, reheat the tomato mixture to a simmer. Add the mussels, cover and steam until the mussels open, about 10 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, divide the mussels among four soup plates. Season the broth to taste with pepper flakes and pour over the mussels. Serve at once with saffron-aioli toasts.

STEAMED MUSSELS IN SAFFRON WINE BROTH

Steps:

• In a deep saucepan, bring wine, saffron, shallots, and parsley to a boil.
• Add the mussels, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until shells have opened (mussels will be firm but tender).
• Serve the mussels with their broth and lemon halves.

STEAMED MUSSELS IN PERNOD BROTH

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan. When the oil is hot, sauté the fennel, onions and shallots for 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Remove the sauté pan from the heat and add the Pernod®. Place the sauté pan back on the heat and flame the vegetables for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the tomatoes and wine and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the mussels and parsley, cover and steam the mussels until all of the shells have opened, about 4 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open their shell. Remove the mussels and let the broth cook for 2 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove the broth from the heat. Divide the mussels between two large shallow bowls. Spoon the broth over the mussels. Serve the mussels with the crusty bread.