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| The finished product |
I'm all about trying new things these days: new ingredients, new techniques, etc. I don't think I've ever cooked a mollusk before. Truth be told, I honestly didn't realize that mussels were alive when you bought them. While storing them in the fridge before cooking, half of them opened up. Which I knew was bad. Opened mussels = bad mussels. However! After running them under cold water, they all closed up again! It was kind of gross, kind of cool. I guess I'll have to deal with it if I ever intend to cook a live lobster (I want to try it, but I SO DO NOT at the same time). Anyways, keep them cool and rinse and scrub them before you proceed with the recipe. Toss any that stay open.
Regardless of your experience with mollusks, you should definitely try out this recipe. It's super delicious and makes for a great dinner party dish. Here's what you'll need:
- 1 can chopped or whole tomatoes (you have to chop them anyways, so might as well by them that way)
- 3 fat garlic cloves; 1 crushed, 2 minced
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 pounds mussels, rinsed, scrubbed and beards removed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or marjoram, or both
- Pinch sugar
- Salt to taste
- 1 pound linguine or other pasta
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
