Here's a recipe you can use to serve your mussels with a European flair!
New Jersey is truly a remarkable state. It's so diverse in natural resources. One renewable and abundant resource is our shellfish. What kind of shellfish? We have clams (hard and soft), mussels, oysters, scallops, (bay and sea), welk's (conch-like), crabs (hard and soft). All are available, with the appropriate license and a short drive from anywhere in New Jersey.
Some can be eaten raw. Others must be cooked.
The one rule you'll need to remember about shellfish is "MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALIVE". Clams, oysters and mussels that are open and don't close when touched, crabs that are limp and don't move, or any fish that has an unpleasant or ammonia smell MUST BE DISCARDED! There are NO exceptions to this rule. When in doubt, throw it out.
by Mike "Cuzzy Boy" Melchionne
MUSSELS IN LINGUINE
½ lb. mussels per person (6-20 depending on their size but 2½ to 3½ inch mussels are best)
2 tablespoons of olive oil per ½ lb. of mussels
¼ cup of thinly sliced onions per ½ lb. of mussels
½ cup of thinly sliced fennel per lb. of mussels (optional)
½ teaspoon of oregano per 1lb. of mussels
1-2 cloves of garlic per ½ lb. of mussels
½ cup of white wine (the cheaper the better) per ½ lb. of mussels
A splash of vermouth per ½ lb. (optional)
1 cup of plumed, diced, or fresh tomatoes per lb. of mussels
2 table spoons of chopped parsley (per lb. of mussels)
1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)
Red pepper seeds to taste (optional)
Hard crusted Italian, Portuguese, or fresh baked bread
Fresh grated regiano or parmigiano grated cheese
Put the olive oil in a pan large enough to accommodate all the ingredients.
Add fennel, onion, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes on a low to medium heat.
Add tomato, oregano, wine, vermouth, pepper and parsley.
Bring to a boil and then simmer on a medium heat for 5 minutes (make sure juice does not cook off).
Add mussels and cover for 3-5 minutes and cover (until all the mussels open).
In a separate pan boil water and cook the linguine ("al dente": to the tooth, firm to the bite)
When both are cooked, mix in one pan gently folding everything together.
Sprinkle with some cheese.
Add a pinch of parsley per dish.
Ladle some "gravy" (Yes the "juice"...) on top.
Bon Apetit!
