Mussels With Greek Yogurt Capers And Mint Recipes

GREEK LAMB WITH YOGURT MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the garlic, rosemary, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the herbs are finely minced. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine and combine. Place the chops in a glass or ceramic dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the chops, turning to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
• When ready to cook, prepare a grill with one layer of hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat. Remove the lamb from the marinade, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the cold Yogurt Mint Sauce.
• Place the scallions, mint, dill, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until it's a coarse paste. Add the yogurt, salt, and pepper and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH FENNEL, TOMATOES, OUZO, AND CREAM

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic, and cook until tender. Stir in fennel and tomato, and continue cooking about 5 minutes.
• Mix white wine, ouzo, and heavy cream into the saucepan, and bring to a boil. Gradually stir in mussels, 1/2 the basil, and salt.
• Cover saucepan, and continue cooking about 5 minutes, until the mussels have opened. Garnish with remaining basil to serve.

PASTA WITH MUSSELS, TOMATOES AND FRIED CAPERS

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until 2 minutes shy of al dente. Drain.
• As pasta cooks, prepare the bread crumbs: In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add capers and minced garlic, and let sizzle for 30 seconds. Add bread crumbs, and fry until both crumbs and capers are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Scrape the crumbs and capers onto a plate, and season to taste with salt.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil to pot and let it get hot. Add sliced garlic and red-pepper flakes, and let sizzle until garlic is golden at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes have softened and start to lose their shape, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer tomato solids to a small bowl, add lemon juice to taste, and set aside.
• Add wine and oregano to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add mussels, cover and cook over medium heat, shaking the pot occasionally, until mussels have opened and are cooked through, about 4 to 7 minutes. Transfer mussels with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, and let cool slightly. Discard any unopened mussels.
• Simmer the mussels liquid until reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Discard oregano sprigs.
• When mussels are still hot (but not too hot to handle), pull meat from shells and add to the pot with reduced mussel broth (discard shells). Add pasta, tomatoes and butter, and toss well. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt if needed.
• Transfer mixture to a shallow serving bowl and toss with herbs. Top with bread crumb-caper mixture and serve.

MUSSELS WITH GREEK YOGURT, CAPERS, AND MINT

Steps:

• Clean and debeard the mussels and rinse in a colander under cold running water, discarding any whose shells are cracked or do not close tightly when tapped.
• In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine the mussels with the wine, stirring to combine. Cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes until shells have opened. Transfer opened shells to a bowl to cool. Re-cover and cook for a few minutes as needed until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that do not open.
• Once cooled, remove shells from mussels and reserve half for serving. Place mussels in a bowl and then strain the cooking liquid into the same bowl, discarding solids. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
• Mince the capers finely and place in a small bowl. Add yogurt and season with salt. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid (which has been added to the mussels in the refrigerator). Mix well with a whisk to slightly whip the yogurt.
• To serve, in reserved half shell, dollop a small amount of caper yogurt, place a mussel on top, and garnish with mint.

MUSSELS AND CLAMS WITH SIZZLING BROWN BUTTER AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Wash clams well. Wash mussels, making sure to remove and discard their beards. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in each of 2 large cast iron frying pans over high heat. Add clams and half the thyme to 1 of the pans; add mussels and half of the thyme to the other pan; cook for 1 minute. Divide butter and capers between the 2 pans. Continue cooking clams and mussels for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they open.
• To serve, place clams mussels and the butter in which they cooked in a warmed serving bowl and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve with bread on the side, to soak up the butter at the bottom of the bowl.