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1
Put the egg yolks, garlic, vinegar, pimenton, and a sprinkle of salt in a food processor and puree until the mixture is homogeneous.
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2
Then, with the machine running, VERY slowly drizzle in some of the oil until the mixture is thick and smooth.
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3
When it starts to look like mayonnaise, the rest of the oil can be added in a thin, slow stream; season with salt.
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4
You want relatively thin aioli here.
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5
If its too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it; or on the flip side, if its too thin, add more oil.
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6
TASTE for seasoning, adjust if needed, and refrigerate until ready to use.
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7
Coat the bottom of a large pot (big enough to hold all the mussels) with olive oil.
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8
Add the garlic and red pepper and bring to medium-high heat; cook until the garlic is golden and very aromatic, 4 to 5 minutes.
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9
Add the mussels, oregano, and bay leaves and stir to coat with the oil; add the wine and cover the pot.
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10
Steam the mussels for 5 to 6 minutes; if not all the shells are open, continue to cook them all a little longer.
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11
While the mussels are steaming, grill the bread.
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12
Serve the mussels in bowls with lots of juice from the pot (as much as you like!).
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13
Generously drizzle each bowl with the aioli, garnish with the scallions, and serve the toasted bread alongside.
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14
When you buy mussels, or any shellfish for that matter, make sure you buy them in mesh bagsremember, these guys are alive and they need to breathe!
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15
They also need to stay cold, so dont be afraid to ask your fishmonger for a bag of ice to toss in your shopping bag.
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16
Scrub the mussels well and refrigerate them until youre ready to cook (but do not put them in a bowl of water!).
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17
If any shells are cracked or broken, toss them.
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18
The rule is: When in doubt, throw em out.
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19
When it comes to cooking shellfish, the ones that dont open are the freshestcontinue to cook them until they give it up!
