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1
Wash all the mussels, and scrub them if they seem at all gritty.
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2
Scrape away any beard.
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3
Chop up the shallots, toss them into a large heavy pot, and pour in the wine.
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4
Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, to reduce the wine slightly, then dump in all the mussels.
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5
Cover the pot, and cook over brisk heat until all the shells have opened (if any have remained firmly shut after the rest have opened, discard them).
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6
Dish up into a warm bowl as many mussels as your healthy appetite dictates, scatter a small handful of chopped parsley over them, and spoon most of the liquid on top.
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7
Shell the remaining mussels, and pack them and the broth tightly in a refrigerator container, reserving about a dozen handsome shells.
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8
I got the idea for these seasonings out of Ken Homs engaging book Easy Family Recipes from a Chinese-American Childhood.
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9
He remembers how his family enjoyed this treat, using chopsticks and accompanying the mussels with a bowl of rice.
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10
So, if you want to do the same, get the rice going first (see page 169).
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11
Pour the liquid from the remaining mussels into a small pot; youll want about 1/2 cup; if you havent enough add some light chicken broth to make it up.
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12
Cut a medium clove of garlic into slivers, and scatter them into the liquid.
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13
Grate some fresh gingerabout 1/2 teaspoondirectly into the pot, stir in 1/2 teaspoon good curry powder, a splash of dry sherry, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and a generous pinch of sugar.
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14
Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for a few minutes, then fold in most of the remaining mussels (you want to reserve eight to twelve, depending on their size, for the third round).
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15
Simmer just long enough to heat the mussels, then spoon them over a serving of warm rice.
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16
Sprinkle on a chopped scallion and a tablespoon or so of chopped cilantro or parsley.
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17
I like to have the remaining mussels bathed in a chilled sauce and returned to their shells.
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18
It makes a nice offering if someone stops by for a drink, or just to enjoy alone.
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19
Prepare a vinaigrette with 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, a large pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
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20
Add about 1/4 red pepper cut into small dice, 2 chopped scallions, 1/2 hard-boiled egg, chopped, and a couple of tablespoons chopped parsley (if you have some tarragon, thats good, too).
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21
Marinate the reserved mussels in this sauce for an hour or so, or even overnight.
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22
Spoon the mussels into the reserved shells; you may want to use two mussels, if they are very small, per shell.
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23
Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over them.
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24
Eat by just sucking the mussel from the shell into your mouth.
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25
Sometimes I prefer my mussels in the shell warm instead of chilled.
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26
Recently I noticed them on a bistro menu in Paris served in escargot butter, and I ordered them.
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27
They came on an escargot plate, swimming in heady garlic butter, and they were scrumptiousbetter than snails usually are.
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28
So, of course, Ive been doing them that way chez moi ever since.
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29
For the escargot butter: Mash 2 tablespoons butter with 1 fat clove of garlic and 1 shallot, both finely minced, then dried by squeezing them in a towel.
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30
Add pepper to taste, and work in about 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley.
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31
Then all you need do is tuck one or two mussels, depending on their size, into the indentation in the escargot plate, and top it with about 1/2 teaspoon of the snail butter.
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32
Fill up as much of the snail plate as you like, and pop into a 400 oven, cooking until the contents are hot and bubblingabout 5 minutes.
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33
If you have any leftover snail butter, its good on any kind of fish or seafood, and even vegetables.
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34
Make double the quantity the next time if you find its something you want to have handy.
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35
You can freeze it, too.
