Tomato Herb Mussels Food

TOMATO MUSSEL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large enameled casserole. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cover and simmer, stirring on occasion, for 10 minutes or until really tender. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer for 20 minutes to mellow the flavor. Add the mussels, cover the casserole and cook over high heat until they open. Discard unopened mussels. Spoon mussels and their liquid in deep bowls and garnish with basil. Could also serve over pasta or rice or with a potato salad.

HERB AND LEMON BUTTER MUSSELS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil and vegetable oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add a pinch of salt along with the onions and garlic. Sweat until they are a tad past translucent and are just starting to acquire color. Before the garlic starts to brown, add the tomatoes, scallions and basil. Saute so that the flavors blend together, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes more.
• Add the mussels to the pan. Next, add the lemon juice and then the Chardonnay to deglaze the pan, and then quickly cover with a lid to steam the mussels. Note: Do not open for at least 1 1/2 to 2 minutes so the mussels can steam.
• Then, lift the lid and add the parsley (checking to make sure that there is enough moisture in the bottom of the pan to continue to steam the mussels). If everything is going properly, the mussels will have almost fully opened and there will be plenty of liquid still in the bottom of the pan to finish steaming the mussels. In that case, quickly cover the pan for another minute and a half. If the wine has evaporated and the mussels have not opened, add a small additional amount of wine, about a half cup more, and then re-cover the pan to cook out the additional raw alcohol taste and allow the mussels to fully open.
• Once 3 to 4 minutes total have passed since the beginning of the cooking process, all of the mussels should have opened and their natural juices should have leaked out into the bottom of the pan, combining with the fresh herbs and vegetables to create a simmering broth. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter until melted.
• Plate the mussels in a bowl and pour the sauce on top. Serve with your favorite toasted bread.

TOMATO HERB MUSSELS

Steps:

• In a large saute pan over high heat, bring the oil to the verge of smoking. Then add the onions, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the onions until softened. After cooking the onions 2 to 3 minutes, add the potatoes and garlic. Again cook for 2 minutes, and then finish with the wine. Allow the wine to reduce by half, and then add the mussels and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and allow the mussels to warm and the liquid to reduce again, one-quarter volume total. Finally, add the herbs, stir and serve with bread of choice.

MUSSELS WITH TOMATO AND BASIL

Steps:

• Clean the mussels and put them in a large saucepan on high heat. Sprinkle in the white wine, cover and cook until the mussels open. Remove from heat as soon as they have opened, strain off the liquor and keep it.
• Debeard the mussels and discard one-half of each shell. Set the mussels in half-shells on a serving dish.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften the shallots in the olive oil over moderate heat and add about one cup of the mussel cooking liquor.
• Reduce the mussel liquor until it has almost disappeared, then add the tomatoes, heat through and add the garlic. Warm through again to drive off some but not all of the volatility of the garlic, then add the basil, freshly snipped. Add the parsley and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• Heat the mussels through in the oven; don't overdo it or they will toughen. Spoon the sauce into the mussel shells and serve.

MUSSELS WITH TOMATO & WHITE WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, melt the butter.
• Add the onions, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and tomatoes, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the wine, parsley, and bring to a boil.
• Add the mussels, cover, and cook until the shells have opened, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and discard any shells that do not open.
• Transfer to a large deep bowl and serve immediately. Make sure to have spoons available as this broth is good!
• Use your nice crusty french bread for dipping.