Steamed Mussels With Spicy Red Pepper Aioli Food

THAI-INSPIRED MUSSELS WITH COCONUT MILK AND LEMONGRASS

Steps:

• For the mussels: Preheat a large lidded saucepan or moules (mussels) pot with the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, ginger and garlic. Saute until soft and fragrant, 5 minutes. Add the cilantro stems, lime zest, lime juice, chiles and lemongrass and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the mussels, beer, coconut milk and lime leaves, then cover and allow to steam until the mussels open, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the fish sauce and stir to combine. Discard any mussels that do not open. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
• For the toasted bread: Preheat a saute pan over medium-high heat with a little vegetable oil. Add the baguette slices and toast on both sides until golden brown, 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and rub with the garlic clove. Serve alongside the mussels.

SEARED SALMON WITH SPICY RED PEPPER AIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the aioli, chop the garlic and chipotle pepper together on a cutting board to make a coarse paste. Place the paste in a food processor, add the lime juice and roasted red peppers, and purée. Add the mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and process until smooth. Set aside.
• For the salmon, place a large (12-inch), dry cast-iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Place the salmon fillets on a board, pat dry with paper towels, and rub all over with olive oil. With the fillets rounded side up, sprinkle them with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper.
• Place the salmon in the skillet rounded side down and cook over medium-high heat for exactly 2 minutes without moving! Using a large metal spatula, turn the fillets rounded side up and place the skillet in the oven. Roast for 3 to 4 minutes, until the centers are rare. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and allow the salmon to rest for 3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare or 5 minutes for medium. Serve the salmon hot with the aioli and a wedge of lime for squeezing.

LEMON RED PEPPER AIOLI

Steps:

• Roast the peppers on a grill or in a broiler until the skin is charred and blistered. Rub off the charred skins with a clean towel and seed. Puree the peppers and garlic in a food processor or blender. Add the egg yolks and continue working. Gradually add the oil to the mixture in a thin steady stream until incorporated. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

GARLIC STEAMED MUSSELS WITH PIMENTôN AïOLI

Steps:

• FOR THE AÏOLI
• Put the egg yolks, garlic, vinegar, pimentón, and a sprinkle of salt in a food processor and purée until the mixture is homogeneous. Then, with the machine running, VERY slowly drizzle in some of the oil until the mixture is thick and smooth. When it starts to look like mayonnaise, the rest of the oil can be added in a thin, slow stream; season with salt. You want relatively thin aïoli here. If it's too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it; or on the flip side, if it's too thin, add more oil. TASTE for seasoning, adjust if needed, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• FOR THE MUSSELS
• Coat the bottom of a large pot (big enough to hold all the mussels) with olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper and bring to medium-high heat; cook until the garlic is golden and very aromatic, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the mussels, oregano, and bay leaves and stir to coat with the oil; add the wine and cover the pot. Steam the mussels for 5 to 6 minutes; if not all the shells are open, continue to cook them all a little longer. While the mussels are steaming, grill the bread.
• Serve the mussels in bowls with lots of juice from the pot (as much as you like!). Generously drizzle each bowl with the aïoli, garnish with the scallions, and serve the toasted bread alongside.
• note
• When you buy mussels, or any shellfish for that matter, make sure you buy them in mesh bags-remember, these guys are alive and they need to breathe! They also need to stay cold, so don't be afraid to ask your fishmonger for a bag of ice to toss in your shopping bag. Scrub the mussels well and refrigerate them until you're ready to cook (but do not put them in a bowl of water!). If any shells are cracked or broken, toss them. The rule is: When in doubt, throw 'em out.
• note
• When it comes to cooking shellfish, the ones that don't open are the freshest-continue to cook them until they give it up!