March 2014 • The Traveling Epicurean

Pesto Butter Log

March 18, 2019March 31, 2014 by Michel

Pesto Butter Log

Even though they have been far and few in between having those few warm days has inspired me to bring out one of my spring recipes for fresh basil pesto butter logs which I love because it’s so versatile. Really simple to do and when you combine the pesto and butter to form the log you keep it in the freezer like the Challah bread croutons taking the pesto butter log out to slice off what you need and then back into the freezer. How easy is that? Try a slice of pesto butter on grilled filet mignon served on a bed of perfectly mashed potatoes and red onion, sautéed chicken breast and spinach, on a piece of Sea bass or put a slice of pesto butter inside a turkey or beef burger when you are forming the patty. Cook it on the grill or stove top and when you bite into it lovely garlicky pesto oozes out! Another creative thing to do when you are cooking pasta sauce and you want to add in some basil flavor just throw in a slice from your pesto butter log!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks of a quality butter – room temperature
1 recipe of pesto

Directions:

Make a fresh batch of pesto and combine it with room temperature butter using a spatula
Tear off a large piece of saran wrap and place down going horizontally on a cutting board that will fit in the freezer
Scoop out the combined pesto-butter mixture and place in a 2″ wide line going down the center of the saran wrap… it should be about 12″ long log
Pull up both sides of the saran wrap and this will help round the mound
Fold over the 2 pieces of saran going in the same direction so there isn’t any air in it and begin to roll the pesto log
Pinch the ends, twist and roll again to get a good roll log shape …still holding on to the pinched ends
Place the newly formed log on the cutting board and pop it into the freezer til frozen about 1 1/2 hrs – 2 hrs.
Once the log is frozen you can remove the cutting board and place the log into a Ziploc baggy and back into the freezer
Slice off 1/4″ slices when ever you need and pop the log back into the freezer to keep

Perfectly Mashed Potatoes and Red Onion

November 16, 2019March 28, 2014 by Michel

Perfectly Mashed Potatoes and Red Onion

There’s nothing like good ole mashed potatoes! It’s truly a comfort food. I really like the “yellow” potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes cause they have less moisture and more texture than say a russet when you boil them and they don’t fall apart. There’s an addition of very thinly slice red onion to this potato recipe that just adds that little extra flavor and really make a nice combo. Perfectly mashed potatoes can easily be made with out the red onion if you prefer and the only thing that changes is the omission of red onion. These yummy potatoes go great with a filet mignon and a slice of pesto log, stuffed roulades of chicken, sea bass with green goddess sauce II, sauteed chicken breasts and fresh spinach, or grilled Asian salmon.

Ingredients:

6 large Yukon Gold potatoes
2 Tbsp salt for the water when you boil the potatoes
1/4 cup each heavy cream & half and half
1/2 medium red onion thinly slice on mandolin or knife
3 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 Tbsp for the top
Optional 3 oz Cream Cheese (if making ahead mix in softened cream into finished mashed potatoes)
1 recipe for pesto log if grilling a steak

Directions:

Thinly slice 1/2 of a medium red onion and set aside
Peel the Yukon potatoes and be sure to keep the potatoes in a big pot of cold water while you finishing peeling the others
Cut them into 3/4″ pieces and put them back into the water while you are finishing cutting the rest
When you are finished cutting the potatoes drain the water by titling the pan ( you don’t need to worry about draining every last drop) and then run fresh COLD water back in so it’s about 1 1/2″ over the potato level
Add 2 Tbsp salt to the potatoes and bring the potatoes to a boil on high heat … This will take about 8-10 minutes
When they begin to boil turn the heat down and simmer for 12-13 minutes til they are fork tender but not mushy
Drain the potatoes and put them back into the pan to keep them warm while you rice them (if you don’t have a ricer just keep them in the pan and begin to use your electric mixer to mash the potatoes…once they are massed -keeping slightly lumpy add red onion and butter and finish combining with a spatula, then add half and half with one last stir)
Using a large bowl begin to put the potatoes thru the potato ricer let them stands fall into the bowl
When you are half way there add thinly sliced red onions and 3 1/2 Tbsp butter to rices potato pile
Finish putting potatoes thru ricer letting potato fall onto red onion and butter
When you are finished mix gently with a spatula just to combine then add half and half and mix til just combine
Taste and add salt and pepper and serve

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March 2014 Farm and Vine Dinner at the Ocean House

March 18, 2019March 27, 2014 by Michel

March 2014 Farm and Vine Dinner at the Ocean House

It was an elegant and outrageously fun evening at the March 2014 Farm and Vine Dinner held at the grand Victorian Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI. The word grand certainly describes the magnificent furnishings and decor of the Ocean House. When you enter it’s as though you existed in a different era of time…it’s quite a wonderful feeling. At the Farm and Vine Dinner the teamwork was impeccable from the food servers, the staff at The Ocean House, Chef Jean-Francois Bruel and John Williams, the wine maker. All with a warm and sincere welcome throughout the whole evening!

It began with Frogs Leap, Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2012 and hors d’oeuvres consisting of rabbit porchetta, wild mushroom pomponette, and Plymouth Rock Oysters with sea urchin custard…what a way to start the evening! Considering I love uni and oysters so much you can guess which was my favorite. We then sat for the next three courses and John Williams the wine maker from Stags Leap introduced each pairing to us at every course. He was entertaining, engaging and informative about wine and the history behind it.

The next pairing John took us through was a Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2012. This went with the first course which was a sea scallop ceviche made with celery, blood orange, and pickled Buddha hand lemon. And on to the Four Story Farm Avian Poularde cooked sous-vide style giving the bird a moist and creamy texture that just melted in your mouth.

The Mast Brothers Smoked Chocolate desserts, chocolate cremeux, chocolate sable with a salted pecan-crown maple syrup ice cream was the perfect way to end this gourmet evening. And my favorite wines of the evening were the reds a 1999 Merlot, Napa Valley and a 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley both Frogs Leap, and as he said they were perfectly ready!

For the grand finally, Janice McEachen, the Ocean house food forager and director of culinary education who was also lovely to meet, introduced Chef Jean-Francois Bruel, his sous and dessert chefs to all of us. Then it was a meet and greet with them and also John the wine maker where everyone mingled and talked some more eventually moseying on over to the bar area for Irish coffees! I highly recommend trying to catch the next Farm and Vine in May. See the links below for events and dates. If after reading my restaurant review you like the idea of a ceviche then try my sea scallop ceviche.

Farm + Vine Dinner
with
CHEF JEAN-FRANÇOIS BRUEL

Passed Hors D’ Oeuvres
Four Story Hill Farm Rabbit Porchetta with Orleans Mustard
Plymouth Rock Oysters with Sea Urchin Custard, Caviar Lime

First
Nantucket Bay Scallops
ceviche with blood orange

Second
Four Story Hill Farm Avian Poularde
swiss chard, young turnips, cilantro, wild rice fricassee, lemon thyme jus

Third
Mast Brothers Smoked Chocolate
cocoa sablé, coffee maple crown crémeux, salted pecan ice cream

The next Farm and Vine Dinner is May 7, 2014. If you want to find out more about this dinner and some of there other things they have going on there go to
http://oceanhouseevents.com/farm-vine-ocean-house

I am so excited about the events at Ocean House that I want you to meet and see the wonderful people that bring these events together so here is a link to see some of Janice’s activities in the scrapbook at the Ocean House
http://oceanhouseri.com/scrapbook/food-forager-janice-mceachen/

To see The Ocean House “March 2014 Farm and Vine Dinner” check out their scrapbook which they so graciously provide for us at the following link here
http://oceanhouseri.com/scrapbook/march-farm-vine-dinner/

Sea Scallop Ceviche

March 18, 2019March 26, 2014 by Michel

Sea Scallop Ceviche

Sea Scallop ceviche is an easy and really delicious way to cook seafood. Ceviche is actually a way to cook or cure by means of marinating in some kind of citric acid like limes or lemons…how easy it is. In addition to marinating in lime juice you add in everything that you would add in for a salsa and voilà you have ceviche.

I was inspired to blog about a ceviche dish after attending the Farm and Vine Dinner at the Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI. The first course was a sea scallop ceviche with celery, radish, blood orange and lemon and it was amazing.

Ingredients Makes 4 Appetizers:

1/2 lb of sea scallops
1/4 red onion finely chopped (about 2 Tbsp)
8 cherry tomatoes finely chopped
2 large radish finely chopped (about 2 Tbsp)
1/2 jalapeno finely chopped (1 whole jalapeno if you like it spicy)
1/3 cup cilantro chopped (1/3 cup after it’s choppeD)
juice from 1/2 lime
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp good olive oil
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar – (I get the “seasoned”)
juice from 6 limes for the shrimp/scallop marinade
salt and pepper to taste
dash of Tabasco
Bag of blue corn chips (optional)

Directions:

Wash the sea scallops and pat them dry on paper towels
Remove any fibrous side mussel that’s attached to the side of the scallop
Slice up all of the scallops and put into a medium non-reactive bowl like a glass, stainless steel or plastic bowl (put the scallops back into the frig until you are ready with the lime juice)
Finely chop the tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, radishes and cilantro and set aside
Roll the limes to soften them up and squeeze into the bowl with all the sliced scallops.
Make sure there is enough juice so all the scallops are submerse in the lime juice and place into the frig until they are opaque…it will take a couple of hours but you can leave them in overnight.
Drain all the liquid out and add the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 lime, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, all the chopped veggies and herbs, dash of Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste
Serve in martini glasses with blue chips

Fennel & Citrus Salad with Tangerine Dressing

March 18, 2019March 25, 2014 by Michel

Fennel & Citrus Salad with Tangerine Dressing

How refreshing is that…thinly sliced fennel, ruby red grapefruit and honey tangerine segments, with hearts of palm and dressed with a tangerine vinaigrette! We can’t forget the sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for a little nuttiness and of course the challah bread garlic croutons to complete the salad. This dressing actually originated out of The Joy Of Cooking and of course I tweak it by adding Dijon and rice wine vinegar. I wanted these particular fruits and vegetables in the fennel & citrus salad because these are some of my favorites and they work so well together.

Typical in making most salads there are more than a few components coming to the party so you have to organize yourself a bit. Toast the sesame seeds 2 days before. I like to toast more than I’m going to use this way I always have some around and keep the extras fresh in a Ziploc. They will keep for a couple of weeks. Cutting the grapefruit and honey tangerine segments can totally be done the night before and it is so worth segmenting the fresh fruit instead of canned. You can also make the dressing 1 or even 2 days ahead as well. These few steps make everything go so easily when you are putting together the salad.

If you like vegetables and salads you may want to try my baked asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, roasted beet salad with mint and feta, or roasted chick peas, asparagus salad with yummy garlic-Dijon dressing, or zucchini torta.

Ingredients for Salad – Serves 6 individuals … one large salad bowl :

1 bag arugula
2 red ruby grapefruits segmented
4 honey tangerines segmented, SAVING JUICE
1 fennel head, cored and thinly sliced
1 can or jar hearts of palm (whole or sliced) sliced into 1/8 ” pieces
1/2 avocado thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

INGREDIENTS FOR TANGERINE DRESSING:

3 Tbsp fresh squeezed honey tangerine juice
1 medium shallot finely chopped
1 garlic clove put thru garlic press
1/4 Tsp salt
1 Tsp Dijon
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar “seasoned”
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions for fennel & grapefruit salad and tangerine dressing:

Cut the ends off of the grapefruits and slice down the sides, then begin to slice in between the pith layers to segment the grapefruits like in the photo above and place in a small dish
Begin to segment the honey tangerine too, placing the segmented pieces in a separate bowl reserving the tangerine juices…be sure work over the bowl to catch all of the juices while you are cutting the segments because you will need this to make the dressing
Finely chop the shallot and set aside for the dressing
Slice the ends off of the fennel bulb and cut out the middle core, thinly slice on mandolin or knife, set aside
Thinly slice 1/2 of an avocado as shown above
Toast sesame seeds in a small pan on medium heat… this will only take 3-5 minutes so don’t leave the stove because they will burn…slide pan back and forth and swirling around like a jiffy pop (this way the seeds turn golden evenly)
Add garlic (that was put thru garlic press) and salt to a medium bowl and mash the two together
Add in shallots, Dijon, rice wine vinegar, honey tangerine juice, and lemon juice
Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of the good olive oil to emulsify ingredients
Place into a canning jar and set aside
Put arugula in large salad bowl and dress it with 1/4 cup of dressing and toss
Taste arugula here and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper if needed
Begin to add grapefruits, honey tangerines, avocado slices, hearts of palm slices, and fennel
Drizzle 1 lg spoonful of dressing around the tops of fennel and avocado (just a little)
Top with toasted sesame seeds and challah bread garlic croutons

Shrimp & Scallop Chowder with Coconut Cream

March 18, 2019March 24, 2014 by Michel

Shrimp & Scallop Chowder with Coconut Cream

This shrimp and scallop chowder is made with coconut cream instead of heavy cream giving it another layer of flavor on top of the richness of the shrimp and scallops. This is not one of those chowders chalk full of potatoes, in fact, there aren’t any potatoes at all! I am a little tired of ordering chowder when I’m out and always getting a mouth full of potatoes whether it be a clam or a fish chowder and wondering when I was going to run into some seafood. Some had a nice broth to them but were packed full of potatoes and the seafood was scarce. So I got right down to business here and completely skipped the potato all together with my shrimp and scallop chowder. I think you’ll find yourself sipping the broth slowly to savour all the delicate flavors and richness while enjoying the large chunks of shrimp and scallops. This is a great starter to a dinner party and remember to serve this with a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives and Tabasco of course. If you like seafood you might want to try my crostinis, smoked salmon & cream cheese-caper spread, clam puffs, baked coconut shrimp with hot pepper jelly, mussels in a lemongrass-fennel sauce, or even sea bass with green goddess II sauce.

Ingredients – Makes 4 Servings of Shrimp and Scallop Chowder:

1 lb. medium size shrimp – cleaned, deveined and tail shells off
3 extra large sea scallops (4/5 large or 5/6 medium)
2 cups clam juice
2 cups half and half OR you can use 1 can of coconut milk instead if you don’t want to use a milk product
1/2 cup coconut cream (I love the coconut cream sold at Trader Joe’s)
1/2 cup cream sherry (pink)
1/2 white wine (1/4 to deglaze pan with veggies (the other 1/4 cup is for when you add in the shrimp and scallops at the end)
1/4 cup sweet Spanish onion – finely chopped
1/4 cup celery – finely chopped
1/2 Tsp dried Thyme
1 large bay leaf
Chopped fresh chives
1/2 Tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp corn starch slurry (1 Tsp corn starch mixed with 3 Tbsp simmering broth)
1 Tsp Siracha or Tabasco (Siracha is a hot chile sauce that is sold by the Tabasco) this also gives the broth a little bit of color on top of flavor

Directions:

Wash and pat dry scallops and shrimp on a paper towel
Take the tails of all the shrimp
Cut shrimp up into 3/4″ pieces
Take the side muscle off the scallops …you will see an extra part of scallop meat sticking out of the side, this is a fibrous side muscle that you must take off
Slice the scallops in half horizontally and then in 3/4″ chunks and set aside with the shrimp
Finely chop celery and onion
Add celery, onion and salt to olive oil in medium pan
Sauté the veggies for 10 minutes on medium/low heat until completely translucent and slightly golden in color on the edges.
Deglazed the pan with 1/4 cup of the white wine stirring the pan with a spatula
Let the wine-veggie mixture simmer for 3 minutes
Add in coconut cream, half and half, clam juice, and sherry and bay leaf
Bring to a low simmer for 15 minutes
As the broth begins to simmer make a corn starch slurry by adding 3 Tbsp of the broth to 1 Tbsp corn starch and mix with a fork til combined and add to broth
Add in dried thyme, Siracha and simmer for 5 more minutes (adding this Siracha doesn’t really spice it up just adds a layer of flavor…you will want to serve chowder with Tabasco on the side for extra spice
Add in shrimp, scallops and 1/4 white wine and put on a low simmer for about 4 minutes til shrimp and scallops are just cooked thru …DO NOT BOIL because this will make the fish tough!
Remove bay leaf
Serve and garish with a sprinkle of chopped chives and don’t forget the Tabasco

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Mango-Banana Smoothie

March 18, 2019March 21, 2014 by Michel

Mango-Banana Smoothie

You just can’t beat smoothies, in my opinion! They’re refreshing, delicious, filling and really good for you. A Smoothie made with Greek yogurt and fruit are one my favorites particularly when it includes mangoes. The fact that you can easily ripen mangoes on your counter in any season really makes me happy especially when it’s a brutal winter like this one …I can still feel somewhat tropical. Adding a jigger of RUM and a little umbrella could change it up into a “mango-banana smoothie cocktail” giving you an authentic tropical warming feeling! Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 ripe mango diced up (2 cups)
1/2 banana sliced
1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1 3/4 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
juice from 1/2 fresh lime
1/4 cup agave nectar

Directions:

If you only have large chunky ice see “TIP” below.
Cut off the bottom of the mango to give you a flat edge to work with…so you can sit the mango up right.
Then peel the skin of the mango kind of like an apple.
Once all the skin is off cut the down the sides of the stone pit as shown in the photos.
Keep cutting the mango flesh until you are left with the pit (doesn’t have to be neat)
Cut the mango into chunks
Slice the banana
Add the mango, banana and the rest of the ingredients on the list into the blender and purée.

TIP: If you only have a bag of large chunky ice on hand and need it crushed slide the ice chunks into a large Ziplock Baggie, fold a dish towel around it and hit it with your meat mallet and voilà.

Roasted Beet Salad with Mint & Feta

March 18, 2019March 20, 2014 by Michel

Roasted Beet Salad with Mint & Feta

For anyone who loves beets as much as I do and wants an easier way to prepare them this is your answer! In my roasted beet recipe you wash them, peel them with a potato peeler, slice and roast them for 15 minutes…that’s it. You use a potato peeler with the giant size beets because they get such a tough, dirty exterior, but if you have medium to small beets, the younger ones, there is NO NEED to peel them at all!…use a mushroom brush or brand new sponge and rub them under water and you will see how nice the outside of the beet gets cleaned up, slice and roast. Then you let them cool, add some vinegar, mint and feta and you have yourself a sweet beet salad. Now I show you how to stack them in a cylinder for a nice presentation if you are having friends over but if you want to be casual just toss them in a bowl, sprinkle with a mint-feta mixture and serve. You’ll look at beets in a whole new way and you won’t be so apt to procrastinate. If you go into a whole foods for produce they are going to have to prettiest beets you have ever seen. You can get golden beets, sweet naturally stripe beets (called chioggia beets) in pink and golden hues with darker pink or white swirls going around. It will take your beet experience to a whole new level.

I like pretty much all good feta but am partial to sheep’s milk feta because I find it creamy and soft in flavor. You really don’t need that much either on the salad just a sprinkle is good so you don’t loose the taste of the sweet beets. The mint you can pick up anywhere but let me tell you I have peppermint growing wild in my back yard and I love it! You need not pay any attention to it unless you want to try and contain it because mint is a very happy plant that comes back every year and just keeps growing. The aroma is nice and refreshing also to have in your yard.

Before you start with this cold roasted beet salad you can offer up warm baked coconut shrimp with a hot pepper jelly, bake asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, clam puffs, and or some roasted chick peas. And don’t forget about dinner with maybe an Asian shrimp and rice noodle dish or sautéed chicken on a roasted garlic & cannellini bean purée. Finally, there is dessert you know with some chocolate-avocado mousse or Pavlova with fresh fruits which you can totally make ahead so you don’t get too tired to have fun with your dinner guests not to mention you can make any and all of those appetizers in the list above ahead of time also…just need a little planning! …OR you could just put this all on hold and make reservations at one of my restaurant reviews like Chamard Vineyards in Clinton,CT or The Oyster Club in Mystic, CT.

Ingredients – Serves 4 or 5/6 small:

1 large bunch of beets (3 large bulbs or 4 small)
1/2 cup feta (I used Castella Bulgarian Feta Cheese – a sheeps milk feta)
1/2 Tsp sea salt
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (i like to use “seasoned” rice wine vinegar)
1 Tbsp champagne vinegar to cut the sweet in the “seasoned”
2 Tbsp julienned mint leaves and 4 center picks for the middle if you are using a ring mold
1 recipe challah bread garlic croutons (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400º
Cut the stems off the beets
Cut the ends of the beets
Then peel the beets with a potato peeler if you have giant size beets but if you have the lovely medium-small beet size NO NEED to peel… just use a mushroom brush or brand new sponge and rub them under water and the skins are ready to go!
Slice the beets in 1/2, put the flat side down and begin to slice 1/4″ slice and cut those in 1/2 so you are atually quartering them…see photo
Put them on a cookie tray and add 3 Tbsp olive oil
Sprinkle 1/2 Tsp salt and put them into the oven for 15 minutes
Crumble feta to measure 1/2 cup
Julienne mint leaves and add to feta and set aside
Take the tray out and let cool for 5 minutes
If you see a little moisture appear on top of the beets while cooling just pat gently with a paper towel
Using a spatula put them into a medium size bowl and let them cool fully
When they are cool add 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp champagne vinegar and toss..that’s it
Now either spoon roasted sliced beets into a cylinder ring to mold…fill only 1/2 way up and sprinkle 1 Tbsp of mint-feta mix on top
Gently remove ring mold pulling straight up
You can serve now or drizzle some good extra-virgin olive oil back and forth across the plate (just for presentation)
You can also crumble challah bread garlic crouton on top of that
OR put the roasted sweet beets into a bowl and add vinegars and sprinkle with mint-feta mixture and serve…DO NOT toss here because the feta will turn pink from the beets

Mussels at The Oyster Club in Mystic, CT

March 18, 2019March 19, 2014 by Michel

Mussels at The Oyster Club in Mystic, CT

Recently I met my good friend, Eileen, for lunch at The Oyster Club in Mystic, CT. I had the mussels in the coconut lemongrass broth which had a lovely lemongrass flavor permeating through the cream base they were served in and definitely worth going back for. The Oyster Club atmosphere is as sweet and charming as the building it’s in which is a 1902 converted clapboard building…talk about a little bit of history here. The mussels were tender and creamy with a subtle taste of the sea and they were orange in color. Some mussels have an orange meat to them and some have a whitish meat. So what’s the science behind that you might ask? Well, I will tell you. The orange color mussels are females, and the whitish color ones are males or young females. Either color mussel is a treat for me and are the same in taste although I am partial to anything with orange pigments and will side with the orange mussel.

The 3 owner’s of The Oyster Club recently opened their sister restaurant, The Engine Room, right around the corner so to speak, also in Mystic. The fact that they work with all local farmers, and fisherman says something about their integrity and makes you want to support them even more which isn’t difficult to do considering the product you get in return. Keep a look out for my reviews at The Engine Room in Mystic. And if you like lemongrass you should check out my Mussels in a Lemongrass-Fennel Sauce. It’s a flavor combo that you will love to crave once you try it.

Mussels in a Lemongrass-Fennel Sauce

March 18, 2019March 18, 2014 by Michel

Mussels in a Lemongrass-Fennel Sauce

Steaming Mussels in a lemongrass-fennel and coconut milk sauce is an amazing flavor you will love and it’s simple to make. Mussels are an inexpensive shellfish to buy and they are delicate and delicious. I like infusing a fennel flavor into the broth of the coconut milk and lemongrass because it reminds me of this amazing dish I had in New Orleans years ago, oysters in Pernod sauce that rocked my world. In my Italian-American family we ate raw fennel often, in fact I have probably been eating fennel since I was little kid. It has a delicate anise flavor when cooked and is very refreshing when raw which I love thinly sliced in salads. It is actually considered to be a palate cleanser although I think we just ate it because we loved the flavor.

Now there really isn’t any science to keeping mussels fresh in the frig …just try and cook them the same day you buy them. DO NOT put them on ice because the cubes will melt and there won’t be enough oxygen to keep them alive once they end up submerged in the water. Put the bag of mussels in a bowl so any liquid from the mussels doesn’t leak in your frig and keep the bag open at the top. Any mussels that are open and don’t close when you squeeze them are bad…they are dead so toss them, you must NOT eat them! Some mussels have a filament on them or a beard that you need to pull off but don’t do this until you are ready to wash and cook them because this kills them.

Cooking with lemongrass gives you a subtle lemony-citrus flavor with out the acidity of using an actual lemon. It’s used a lot in Asian dishes and now even available at your local Stop & Shop. When you cook with lemongrass it does require a little prep but don’t be intimidated because it’s quick and easy. You need to start by cutting off the ends, slicing down the middle to peel away the tough exterior layers reaching a very thin yet flavorful strip that you need to bruise with a meat mallet to release those incredible lemongrass oils…see that wasn’t so bad!

You can add cooked rice noodles to these mussels in a lemongrass-fennel sauce to make it more of a meal and of course don’t forget the garlic bread toasts for dunking. You can be versatile with this dish and turn it into chowder by shelling all of the mussels and evenly distributing the broth and mussels into bowls and don’t forget to serve with Tabasco, of course. If you do make this a meal it always nice to finish off a fish dish with something chocolatey like chocolate-avocado mousse. If you keep it as an appetizer you might want to start off with some other non-fish appetizers as well like baked asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, sausage stuffed mushrooms, or zucchini torta.

Ingredients – Makes 4 appetizer servings (there are about 22 mussels per lb. so it’s approx 13 mussels per person)
– To make into 4 meals add 3/4 lb cooked rice noodles:

2 1/2 lb of mussels
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup clam broth
1 cup white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
2/3 fennel bulb with fronds (green tops)
1/2 sweet Spanish onion cut into lg wedges (can leave the peel on)
1/2 jalapeño sliced
2 garlic cloves – smashed
1 Tsp sugar
1/2 Tsp salt
Dashes of Tabasco
8 cherry tomatoes (garnish) chopped
1 cup cilantro (garnish) chopped
3 diced green onion stalk (garnish) thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil (garnish)

Directions for Mussels in a lemongrass-fennel sauce:

Chop cherry tomatoes, green onion and cilantro
Add these together in a small bowl with 1 Tbsp olive oil…set aside for garnish later
Cut off the ends of the lemongrass stalks see photo above – one end cut in 1 1/2 ” and at the thin end come in about 6″ and cut
Slice down the middle of the stalks and peel away the tough exterior layers reaching very thin strips
You need to bruise these inner strips with a meat mallet to release those incredible lemongrass oils then put them into a large sauce pan
Cut the ends off of the fennel bulb as shown in the photo above and slice 2/3 of it into wedges and add to the sauce pan with some of the fronds (green fennel tops) and the lemongrass
Add sliced jalapeño, onion wedges, smashed garlic cloves, coconut milk, clam broth, white wine, heavy cream, salt, and sugar all to the large sauce pan with fennel and lemongrass and bring to a boil
Turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes so all the vegetables and herbs can infuse the broths and creams
Drain this mixture and place back into the same large sauce pan and simmer for 5-8 more minutes …you want to taste sauce at this point to see if you need to add any Tabasco to spice it up more
(If you are making this into a meal with rice noodles cook 3/4 lb of rice noodles now, drain and set aside)
Rinse the mussels going through each one to make sure it closes when you squeeze it with you finger tips and throw out the ones that remain open…these are dead
After washing and sorting thru each and every mussel pull off any beards that may be attached to them…pulling down towards the bottom end (you are just pulling this filament out of the mussel)
Add all of these cleaned and de-beared mussels to the simmering lemongrass-fennel sauce and cover with a lid
They mussels will open in a matter of minutes …like 1-3 minutes so don’t go far
As soon as they open immediately remove from the stove
(If serving rice noodles add them to bowls and evenly distribute mussels and broth)
Evenly spoon mussels and broth into bowls and sprinkle each with some fresh cherry tomato, cilantro, and green onion mixture
NOTE: If any of the mussels do not open when you are cooking them…TOSS them they are bad

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Pesto Butter Log

Perfectly Mashed Potatoes and Red Onion

March 2014 Farm and Vine Dinner at the Ocean House

Farm + Vine Dinner with CHEF JEAN-FRANÇOIS BRUEL

Sea Scallop Ceviche

Fennel & Citrus Salad with Tangerine Dressing

Shrimp & Scallop Chowder with Coconut Cream

Mango-Banana Smoothie

Roasted Beet Salad with Mint & Feta

Mussels at The Oyster Club in Mystic, CT

Mussels in a Lemongrass-Fennel Sauce

Farm + Vine Dinner
with
CHEF JEAN-FRANÇOIS BRUEL