Kitchenography

Mussels with Smoky Bacon, Lime, and Cilantro

This recipe is one from my archives, first posted in the early days of my blog but at the time I didn't get a picture of it. I'd made it when I had people over for dinner and the idea of holding everyone's dinner up while I got a picture was something I couldn't (still can't) bring myself to do. At the time I posted a picture of my dog instead which in retrospect seems a little on the overly-whimsical side. What can I say -- I was a beginning food blogger.

This is a spectacular way to prepare mussels. They're smoky, a little spicy, rich, and delicious, but kept from being overwhelmingly heavy by the lime and cilantro. The addition of the bacon and the richness of the sauce makes this a more substantial dish than mussels usually are -- good if you plan on serving mussels as the main course. Be sure to have bread to soak up the sauce which is so good you'll want to eat every single drop.

Mussels are one of my favorite foods for a gathering. Besides the fact that mussels are relatively inexpensive (I pay about $2.50 a pound), there's something convivial and light-hearted about any meal that involves a big bowl in the middle of the table where everyone tosses their empty shells. Eating mussels is an activity that makes stiffness and formality impossible.  

They're also fast to cook and the biggest time-component of preparing mussels, the cleaning, can be done in advance. Actually the cleaning of mussels is no big deal these days. I buy farmed mussels from Tenants Harbor, Maine and the mussels are surprisingly clean. I usually rinse each one under running water to get rid of any sand on the shell, I remove any beards, and I check to make sure the shell isn't broken -- if it is, I toss it. I also toss any that are open and don't close when I tap on the shell. 

Once they're cleaned, I store the cleaned mussels in a colander covered with ice. Mussels need to breathe so don't store them in the refrigerator. I'm also careful at the store not to let anyone put them in a plastic bag and knot the top.

I usually figure a pound of mussels per person if mussels are to be the main course. A pound will end up  being slightly less than a pound by the time you've removed any mussels with broken shells or mussels that are already open.

This recipe from Michael Romano of Union Square Cafe was published in Food and Wine. I found it via The Best American Recipes 2003-2004.  I say it every time I mention the Best American Recipe series and I'm saying it again: This is an exceptionally well curated collection of recipes. I've yet to cook something from it that I'm not happy with. I'm truly sorry that it seems to be being published no longer.

Mussels with Smoky Bacon, Lime, and Cilantro

1/4 pound thick-sliced, lean smoked bacon, cut into 1/2 pieces

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1 large jalapeno, thinly sliced into rings, seeds removed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

14 oz can of plum tomatoes, drained and finely chopped,  or 1/2 pound of fresh plum tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons ketchup

3 1/2 pounds of mussels, scrubbed and debearded

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Cook the bacon in a large, heavy pan over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but two tablespoons of the fat. Add the shallots and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the wine and ketchup and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.

2. Increase the heat to  high and add the mussels. Cover and cook, shaking the pan a few times until the mussels open, about 5 minutes.

3. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to four large shallow bowls.  Off heat, stir in the  lime juice, cilantro, and butter. Ladle the sauce over the mussels.

Serves 3 to 4

The Red Cat's Quick Sauté of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds and Pecorino

I have never been too big a fan of zucchini and actually spent many years of my life actively disliking it, but ever since I began cooking it this way I've been craving it. It's insanely good. And fast. And easy!

The recipe is from the Red Cat Cookbook, a collection of recipes from the New York restaurant. The quick sauté of zucchini with toasted almonds and pecorino is one of The Red Cat's signature dishes and is much mentioned in reviews of the restaurant and blog posts -- with good reason. It's freakin' delicious. It's amazing to me that something that I find as usually forgettable as zucchini can be transformed into something this delicious.

The addition of almonds and cheese make this substantial enough to be almost a meal in itself, or at least I often treat it as a meal in itself. It's also the perfect amount of cooking for a hot day.

My zucchini is often cooked a little beyond the point of the Red Cat's -- I'm not always fast enough at getting it out of the pan and on to the plate. It's still delicious though with enough crunch to keep the whole thing from being mushy in any way. At the Red Cat this is served with wide slices of pecorino shaved paper thin and then arranged over the zucchini in what sort of looks like a teepee. I'm not sure what the point of this is, plus I can't manage feats of food presentation like this so I serve it with smaller pieces of pecorino strewn over the top which still looks inviting to me. But really, the important thing here: insanely delicious.

The Red Cat's Quick Sauté of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds and Pecorino

2 small zucchinis
2 tablespoons sliced almonds (I've been using blanched, slivered almonds because I have some I need to use up)
Salt
Pepper
2 ounces of pecorino romano, in long shaved pieces

1. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into thin (1/8") slices, then cut crosswise into matchsticks. You should have around 2 1/2 cups.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat and when it's hot add the nuts and cook until they are golden with just a little bit of pale brown showing which will take about 30 seconds.

3. Add the zucchini, cook for about 30 seconds, add salt and pepper, then cook about 30 seconds more, stirring the zucchini. As soon as they begin to give off moisture, they're done.

4. Divide between two plates, scatter the pecorino shavings on top, and serve.

If you want to do this for more than two servings, cook the batches separately -- if you pile too much zucchini in your pan you'll end up steaming it rather than sautéing it.