Mussels - To Die For

I am currently reading a book I bought at a book sale recently. The book in question is to die for. Really. That is the books title: “To Die For” by Stephen Downes.
This cheerful guide contains all the gastronomic dishes which one should experience before one dies. I know the idea is a bit on the morose side, but the foods described are magnificent. Within, I have rediscovered dishes I haven’t thought about in years. Old classics like Sauce Esplagnole and Sauce Hollandaise. They remind me of when I started cooking- a brave young boy I was.
And so the inspiration for this dish comes from this book. There is nothing new here in this recipe, but Mike and I thought it was so lovely that it definitely should be included here on this blog.
Mussels are a gourmands equivalent of fast food. They are cheap. More precisely- $6 a kilo. That means $3 per serve. Mussels also take just a few minutes to cook, which makes you wonder- why bother with fast food? A pizza delivered to your door will take about 45 minutes. And it will cost you $20. I know there are moments when only a trashy pizza will do (mostly when I am feeling trashy) but I often forget how easy mussels are. So this recipe is for the folks, out in cyber land, that complain about not having enough time to cook. Do yourself a favour- buy some mussels!

Ingredients
1 kilo live mussels
1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
50 ml unwooded white wine
50- 100ml cream (35% milk fat)
Fresh black pepper

Method
Soak the mussels in a sink with water.
Rip away the beards and discard those mussels that do not close. Change the water and let them soak until you are ready to use. Remove to a bowl or colander, discarding the water.
You will need a large and wide saucepan with a lid. Place the garlic, oil and herbs in the pan, over a very low heat. Cook the garlic for about 1 minute. Do not allow the garlic to colour. Cook to remove the rawness of the garlic only.
Throw in the wine, followed by the mussels.
Place the lid on the pan and turn up the heat to the highest temperature.
Cook, shaking the pan until the mussels have opened. This will only take minutes.
Divide the mussels amongst 2 deep bowls.
Add the cream to the pan and reduce for a minute. Do not add salt, but add pepper to taste.
Pour over the mussels, sprinkle with extra parsley and serve immediately.
All you need with this is bread and a salad. And white wine, of course.

Ossobuco braised with Tomatoes and White Wine

Traditionally, ossobuco is braised without tomatoes. If one is cooking ossobuco with tomatoes then it is incorrect to call it “Ossobuco alla Milanese” So for this reason I have refrained from naming today’s recipe as such.
This is the first time I have actually cooked my ossobuco with tomato. I usually do mine “in bianco” , that is, without tomato. I wanted to try it because it seems to be the most popular way to do it here in Australia. I did enjoy it this way, but I do prefer the traditional Milanese way - braised simply with dry white wine and finished with gremolata. It’s a more elegant approach to a delicate meat like veal. Tomato seems to mask its delicate flavour.
I also did as most Aussie restaurants do and served my tomato braised ossobuco with Risotto alla Milanese (saffron risotto). I think that was a mistake to do so. The two simply clashed! Tomatoes are just too assertive a flavour to complement the perfumed fragrance of saffron. Pureed potato or soft polenta would have been a better match. Oh well, live and learn!

Ingredients
1 kg veal ossobuco
½ tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
250ml white wine
400g tin Italian tomatoes, chopped
Zest from 1 lemon, in large strips
A few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

For the gremolata
Finely chopped lemon zest, garlic and parsley

Method
In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and flour. Use this flour to lightly coat the pieces of ossobuco. You may need more or less flour, depending on the size of the meat.
In a wide and deep saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary for 15 minutes or until the onion has softened. Remove the onion to a small plate.
Add a touch more oil to the pan and turn the heat to high. Add the ossobuco to the pan in a single layer and cook for 1 minute each side, just enough to seal and lightly colour the meat. Remove the meat to a plate.
Throw the wine into the pan and deglaze, stirring and scraping to dissolve any caramelization on the base of the pan. Add the strips of lemon zest and the chopped tomatoes.
Return the meat and onion to the saucepan.
Add water (or stock), to barely cover the meat. Bring the stew to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid. Allow to simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. If you can be bothered, remove the strips of lemon zest. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
For the gremolata: Chop the lemon zest, garlic and parsley to a very fine powder. I use more parsley than lemon, and garlic the least. But compose your gremolata to suit youself. It should be prepared just before using, as parsley loses its fragrance within minutes.
Sprinkle over the ossobuco.
Enough for 2 or 3 serves.

Braised Squid with Clams, Mussels and White Wine

I was very surprised to learn the other day, that calamari and squid are two different creatures in Australia. All my reference books tell me they are the same. But not according to my fishmonger. When I asked what the difference was, I was told squid “has a stronger flavour” As I prefer stronger flavours, I chose the squid. I also noticed a very big difference in price. Whereas squid is very cheap at $5 a kilo, calamari was $25 a kilo. I asked why that was. Well apparently, there are more squid in the sea than calamari. I honestly think it is quite bizarre. The squid was utterly delicious, tasting of the sea and very tender. I never really gave attention to what I was buying in the past, because I always thought they were the same. I cannot help to think that maybe calamari is highly priced only because of the name. I mean “calamari” does sound more glamorous and exotic than “squid”. Who knows?

Ingredients
500g squid
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
250ml white wine
500ml fish stock (I used fake)
2 tsp tomato paste
Fresh black pepper
10 fresh clams
6 mussels

Method.
Get the fishmonger to clean the squid for you. Ask he/she to leave it in 2 pieces- the arms and tentacles, and the body. Cut the squid in pieces-about 8cm long or so.
Put the garlic, parsley and oil in a pan and cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes. Do not allow the garlic to color.
Add the wine and tomato paste. Allow to bubble and reduce for a couple of minutes.
Add the squid and fish stock. Season with pepper. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the squid is well cooked and tender. Keep an eye on the squid and do not over cook. Over cooked squid will become dry and acquire a stingy chicken-like texture. I have made this mistake in the past, and it is revolting.
Add the mussels and clams to the stew, cover and cook until they have opened. Discard any shellfish that refuse to open.
Sprinkle with more parsley and serve the seafood stew with saffron rice and lots of bread to mop up the salty juices. Serves 2.