Mussels Hoegaarden And Green Herbs Recipes

SUNNY'S GREEN GODDESS MUSSELS

Steps:

• In a large pot, melt the butter in the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the yogurt and whisk until smooth. Raise the heat to medium high and slowly whisk in the stock and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer. Immediately add the mussels and cover. Cook until the mussels have opened up, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.
• While the mussels are cooking, pile the cilantro, dill, mint, parsley, tarragon, scallions and lemon zest on a cutting board and roughly chop a little more.
• Give the mussels a stir, add the herb-zest mixture and stir again. Serve hot with crusty bread to dunk into the cooking liquid.

MUSSELS WITH TOMATOES, HERBS AND GARLIC (MOULES PROVENçALE)

Steps:

• To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, celery, garlic, basil and bouquet garni, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until softened but not browned.
• Mix in the tomato paste and tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Put the mussels in a casserole dish with the wine, over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes only, until the mussels have opened, stirring frequently to ensure they are evenly cooked.
• Pour off the cooking liquid, discard any mussels that have not opened, and return the opened mussels, in their shells, to the casserole dish.
• Pour the hot tomato sauce over the mussels and heat through. Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve at once.

MUSSELS STEAMED IN BEER WITH CRèME FRAîCHE, HERBS, AND PARMESAN CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine bread cubes, Parmesan, and oil in medium bowl; sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Spread bread cubes evenly on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bread cubes are crisp and golden around edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
• Mix parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil, if desired, in small bowl. Whisk crème fraîche and both mustards in another small bowl to blend; set aside.
• Melt butter in extra-large pot with lid over high heat. Add garlic and thyme; stir 1 minute. Add mussels, tomatoes, and green onions. Pour beer over, then add crème fraîche mixture; sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Cover tightly with lid and cook until steam appears, about 3 minutes. Add half of fresh herb mixture and stir until mussels and herbs are gently mixed. Cover tightly with lid again and cook until mussels open, 4 to 5 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open).
• Using slotted spoon, divide mussels among 6 bowls. Season mussel juices lightly with salt and pepper, then pour juices over each serving. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan croutons and remaining herb mixture and serve.
• * Available at most supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

SPICY GREEN MUSSELS

Steps:

• To make a green curry paste, put cilantro, ginger, garlic, chiles, coconut, fish sauce, salt, sugar and lemon grass in a blender or food processor. Blend to a coarse paste, adding a little ice water if necessary.
• Rinse the mussels under cold water and remove the beards. Discard any mussels with broken shells, as well as any that are not tightly closed.
• Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over a medium-high flame. Add the mussels and stir well to coat. Raise the heat to high, add the broth or water, and put on the lid. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup of the green curry paste, stir well, and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, until all of the mussels have opened. Sprinkle with the scallions.
• Bring the pot to the table and serve in wide soup bowls, ladling some of the broth over the mussels, along with a squeeze of lime juice. Pass the remaining green curry paste separately, if desired.

MUSSELS WITH GARLIC AND FINES HERBES

Steps:

• Clean the mussels: Scrub them well under cold running water. Debeard them, if necessary, pulling out any wiry fronds coming through the seams of the shells.
• In a large pot or deep sauté pan, combine the white wine, half the shallot, and the bay leaf. Place the mussels on top and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat to steam open the mussels, 3 to 4 minutes. You may want to give them a stir after 2 minutes to disperse the heat evenly among the mussels. When the mussels have opened (if there are a few that don't, this is an indication that they are dead or bad - discard them), transfer them to four shallow bowls.
• Strain the cooking liquid, through either a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth, into a clean pan, add the olive oil, remaining shallot, and garlic, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the mixture slightly; it will condense to an opaque liquid. Taste. If it's too salty, add a little water. Sprinkle the herbs and spoon the sauce over the mussels. Serve promptly, with a tangy baguette torn into large pieces, which you can use to soak up the broth when you're finished with the mussels.

BROILED MUSSELS WITH GARLICKY HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together parsley, garlic, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Pulse in butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons Pernod until mixture is combined. Scrape into a bowl.
• In a soup pot with a tightfitting lid, combine mussels, 1/4 cup pastis and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until mussels have opened, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer mussels to a bowl until cool enough to handle; remove meat from the shells (reserving shells) and transfer to a bowl.
• Pry apart mussel shells and arrange half the shells on one or two large baking sheets; discard remaining shells. Place one mussel in each shell. Top each with a small spoonful of herb butter and a sprinkling of bread crumbs. Mussels may be made up to 1 day ahead up to this point; wrap baking sheets and mussels in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to serve, heat broiler to high and arrange a rack 4 inches from the heat. Transfer tray(s) to the oven and broil until bread crumbs are golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

MUSSELS WITH WHITE WINE AND HERBS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; cook until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaves, and wine. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.
• Add mussels, and cover. Cook, shaking pan often, until mussels open, 5 to 6 minutes. Discard any mussels that fail to open. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mussels to a large bowl, reserving liquid in pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup parsley over the mussels.
• Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme. Return liquid to low heat; stir in creme fraiche and remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Cook just until warm again, and pour over mussels. Serve hot.

LINGUINE WITH MUSSELS AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides. Cook garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, stirring, until garlic is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mussels and cook, covered, shaking pot occasionally, just until mussels open wide, 5 to 8 minutes. (Discard any that remain unopened after 8 minutes.) Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, cook linguine in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain linguine.
• Toss linguine with mussels and any liquid from pot, cheese, and herbs. Thin with reserved cooking water if desired.

MUSSELS HOEGAARDEN

Steps:

• Wash the mussels in cold running water.
• Pull off any stringy "beards" and throw away any mussels that fail to close after tapping them firmly.
• Get out a large, heavy saucepan with a tight fitting lid and place it over a high heat.
• Add the mussels, Hoegaarden and onion, then immediately cover with the lid.
• Give the pan a shake once in a while to move the mussels around.
• As soon as the mussels have all opened, add the cream.
• Boil for 30 seconds or so, remove from the heat and add the parsley.
• Serve with a crusty bread for mopping up the sauce and a big plate of french fries and mayonnaise!

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH PASSATA DI POMODORO, CHILES, AND HERBS

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil, garlic, scallions, and salt in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and sauté until the garlic starts to brown slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, mussels, white wine, and passata and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and steam the mussels for 3 minutes. Uncover the pan to check for doneness; if all but a few mussels have opened, discard those that did not open. If many mussels remain unopened, steam them another minute. Turn off the heat, add the basil, chives, and oregano, and stir to combine.
• Spoon the mussels into four large bowls or soup plates, dividing them evenly, and ladle the broth over and around the mussels. Cut each crostono in half diagonally, place the two halves on the side of each plate or bowl, and serve.
• Suggested Wine Pairing
• Bianco d'Alcamo (Sicily)