Monday, May 18, 2009

Mmmmmm......MUSSELS!

Bruschetta Style Mussels with Shrimp & Scallops


I love mussels...especially in the Spring and Summer when I am sitting on a patio and having a glass of wine. There are so many great recipes...but I truly love them best when there is butter and garlic in the recipe! If you think you don't like mussels....please try out this recipe...the flavors are bold and before you know it.....you will be picking up your bowl of broth and slurping it up! :) So if you don't want to slurp out of your bowl....make sure you have plenty of crusty bread to serve with this dish so you can soak up the broth with the bread. You can use any type of mussels that you like and if you cannot find fresh mussels....it's ok....just use good quality frozen ones.

Bruschetta Style Mussels
1 lb Mussels (washed and cleaned, discard any that are open)
1 lb Raw Shrimp
1 lb Scallops
2 tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2-3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 stick butter
1-2 jalapenos (seeded and chopped) or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups fish stock (you can also use clam juice or vegetable stock)
1 lime
Saute garlic and jalapenos or pepper with butter until the butter melts. Add tomatoes and saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the basil and stock. Bring to a slight boil and add the mussels. Cover pan and steam the mussels for 3 minutes, until mussels are almost done. Add shrimp and scallops and cover again and steam for another 3-4 minutes or until most of the mussels are open and the shrimp and scallops are done. Go through and throw away any mussels that have not opened. Squeeze the lime juice all over the pan then use a slotted spoon to put the mussels, shrimp and scallops in either one large bowl or individual bowls then ladle the sauce over the seafood and serve with crusty bread.

I know a whole stick of butter seems like a lot but this is a big recipe which I served to 12 people as an appetizer. (so see splitting the stick of butter by 12 people is really not that bad!) You can modify the recipe to make a smaller batch.
I call this bruschetta mussels bc I use basically the same ingredients (basil, tomato, garlic) as I do to make my bruschetta.
The aroma of the tomatoes, garlic and basil cooking in the butter is amazing!
Once you add the mussels to the sauce, make sure to stir it up so that the mussels get some of the sauce inside the shells.

Adding the shrimp and scallops after the mussels have steamed for a few minutes ensures that the shrimp and scallops don't overcook.
I buy a loaf of French or Italian bread and brush each piece with a garlic butter that I make that also has crushed red pepper in it. I add shredded mozzarella or fresh mozzarella to some of the pieces.
Broil the pieces of bread in the oven until golden brown and the cheese has melted.
I love serving all the seafood in one big bowl and then giving my guests their own bowl to grab what they want.

Make sure to spoon a little of the sauce on the bread then top with a couple mussels and take one big bite.........then tell me you don't like mussels! :)




11 comments:

the2foodies said...

Avesta,
We live in Omaha as well and I'm curious, where do you purchase your mussels?

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I love your meal. I usually cook my mussels in white wine, butter & garlic. I like how you did yours.

avesta said...

2foodies...I go to Absolute Fresh most of the time...and they get fresh and have frozen there!

Helene...I love them with just white wine, butter & garlic, too...but try this recipe...I think you'll like it!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Oh, WOW! This has all the makings of a winner at my house! Babygirl is opening up to eating shrimp!
(She's a pain) Thanks for sharing!

Glad to see you back Avesta! The move went well and business? Hope you had a wonderful Easter and Mother's day!
~ingrid

avesta said...

thanks Ingrid! I hope your family loves this recipe and I'm glad to be back!!!

Olga said...

as if mussels weren't enough, you added more seafood?! That sounds absolutely amazing!

btw, have you ever tried an Indian twist? I add coconut milk, lemon grass and curry: delicious.

avesta said...

thanks Olga...I have never made that kind of mussels myself but have ordered them in restaurants before...I agree...very good with Indian spices and coconut milk!

Creative Classroom Core said...

Youre Back!
Horray! :)

Kate - Aapplemint said...

Yumm that looks like such a wonderful meal ! i adore mussels too. This dish is really making mouth water.

jh said...

Thanks for the inspiring recipes and absolutely brilliant pictures. I love mussels because they are relatively cheap and so tasty.

Jen
Boda weight loss Blog

Bren said...

hey girlie.. so i don't eat shellfish, but i like the way you dress these mussels!