Here We Go A-Musselling (III)
Oct. 12th, 2025 10:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: moules à la basquaise.
"The hardest part of the dish is roasting the peppers - and that ain't hard. If you're a total chicken-head, you can simply substitute jarred pequillo peppers... but then no one will respect you in the morning."
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (Ha! I used... more.)
2 cups dry white wine
salt and pepper
6 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded just before cooking
parsley for garnish
(directions for roasting and skinning bell peppers omitted)
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until soft and just beginning to brown. Add the roasted peppers and garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the white wine and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Dump in your mussels and slap on the lid. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until the mussels are open. Shake while keeping the lid clamped down. Add the parsley (and a small knob of butter if you're like me) (puerile joke about a small knob here) and shake again. Upend into a warmed bowl and serve with pieces of baguette.
What worked: A 1/3 recipe was perfect for the two of us. I used jarred roasted peppers, so the most lengthy thing was debearding the 2 lb mussels. I used our enormous skillet instead of a pot, which fit much better. I also used leftover mussel broth from the previous a-musselling dish instead of wine, which added more flavor.
What didn't: I'm a chicken-head.
Will I make it again? It was prettier than the previous moules marinières due to the bell pepper. However, it wasn't actually any tastier... so I might just stick with the classic. Two more to try from Bourdain!
"The hardest part of the dish is roasting the peppers - and that ain't hard. If you're a total chicken-head, you can simply substitute jarred pequillo peppers... but then no one will respect you in the morning."
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (Ha! I used... more.)
2 cups dry white wine
salt and pepper
6 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded just before cooking
parsley for garnish
(directions for roasting and skinning bell peppers omitted)
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until soft and just beginning to brown. Add the roasted peppers and garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the white wine and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Dump in your mussels and slap on the lid. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until the mussels are open. Shake while keeping the lid clamped down. Add the parsley (and a small knob of butter if you're like me) (puerile joke about a small knob here) and shake again. Upend into a warmed bowl and serve with pieces of baguette.
What worked: A 1/3 recipe was perfect for the two of us. I used jarred roasted peppers, so the most lengthy thing was debearding the 2 lb mussels. I used our enormous skillet instead of a pot, which fit much better. I also used leftover mussel broth from the previous a-musselling dish instead of wine, which added more flavor.
What didn't: I'm a chicken-head.
Will I make it again? It was prettier than the previous moules marinières due to the bell pepper. However, it wasn't actually any tastier... so I might just stick with the classic. Two more to try from Bourdain!
