Pirate Patterson's Pirate Recipes

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Pirate Pat's Burning Skillet

Recipe of the Week!
Eat like the Pirates Do!
(anti-acid not included)

Recipe 000810 © Pirate Bill "Turtle" Patterson - used with permission

I am happy to report that winter in the Northwest means more than just incessant rain and only nine hours of daylight. It also brings clams, oysters, crab, mussels and steelhead; all of which are either only available or at their peak during the winter months.

I needn't bore you by praising the gastronomic virtues of crab, oysters, clams and steelhead. Rather like preaching to the converted I would think.

But what's up with mussels?

They are loved in France, but so is Jerry Lewis. They are huge in Japan, but so is poisonous blow fish. Hmm, this isn't sounding quite right.

Archeologists claim that mussels have been part of the human diet for more than 20,000 years and they are in big demand in other parts of the world. Why not America? You may well ask. And, frankly, I don't know.

They have more flavor than clams, are just as sweet as oysters from North Puget Sound, easier to handle than live crab and no where near as challenging to catch as winter-run steelhead.

I suppose that it is simply a matter of exposing oneself to them (that's NOT what I mean!!) and knowing how to prepare them.

Catching Mussels

Mussels that grow on rocky ocean shorelines taste the best to me. Maybe it is the constant wave action they receive or the ocean ecosystem that gives them their flavor. Or maybe it is the thought you could be washed out to sea while harvesting that makes them special. I don't know. But I do know this:

IT IS EASIER TO HARVEST AT LOW TIDE THAN IT IS TO HARVEST AT HIGH TIDE.

This maxim holds true for other varieties of shellfish as well. Not only is low tide the drier, safer method for harvesting mussels, but you get mussels that spend nearly all their time in water, but with an hour or two of open air hang-time each day. Some folks claim that this improves flavor.

Use a rather stout kitchen knife (one you aren't worried about) or maybe a screw driver to pry mussels from rocks. Mussels grow almost straight out from whatever they are attached to and usually grow in colonies, so if you do it just right you can get 3 or 4 at a time. Look for mussels that are about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in length. Much smaller and they lack flavor, much bigger and they lack sweetness. Either way, they need to be pried off the rocks and that means skinned knuckles, so wear some tight fitting gloves if you have them.

A few other safety tips that should be observed as well:

Keep a sharp eye out for "rogue" or "sneaker" waves and the incoming tide.
Beware of "red tide" warnings by contacting your local shellfish hotline.
Watch your step. Wet rocks covered with seaweed can be treacherous.
Don't forget the brandy. Good morale and a warm body are important
considerations when harvesting mussels or other shellfish.

It should be noted at this point that mussels can be purchased at any well stocked fresh fish market, but, due to irregular demand, the quality and price can vary. And there is no adventure or brandy to be found at the fish market.

Mussels attach themselves to rocks and whatnot with their "beard" which is the common name for the byssus. The byssus is a hair like filament that needs to removed before cooking by scraping or pulling from the mussel.

Giving the mussels a quick once-over also improves their appearance after cooking. They should also be soaked so that they will purge themselves of any interior sand. And speaking of sand, be sure to inspect the mussels carefully to make certain you don't have any old shells filled with mud or sand.

At this point you are ready to prepare my favorite mussel recipe:

Mussels in Little Pots

You will need the following:

1 medium mixing bowl, stainless or glass work the best. Avoid Tupperware as it absorbs flavors.
1 large skillet with a lid or makeshift cover.
About 2 dozen nice mussels.
1/2 to 1 whole stick of chilled butter, cut into bits.
1 small to medium shallot, minced.
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced.
1-2 T. fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped. Remember: Flat=GOOD, Curly=Bad.
1-2 T. fresh basil, finely chopped.
1-2 T. tomato "concasse." (that means peeled, seeded and chopped). OPTIONAL Pernod (French herbal liqueur) OPTIONAL Salt
Pepper
Dry white wine
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, "First Cold Pressing" if you have it.
French bread, 1 baguette.
4-6 ovenproof ramekins, about 4 oz. Demitasse cups work very nicely.
4-6 cute little spoons (like the ones you got with the demitasse cups).

Prepare compound butter:

Compound butter is nothing more than butter that has other stuff mushed into it. You could call it herb butter but your friends won't be nearly as impressed. It is critical that you use fresh herbs for this dish. If you don't have fresh herbs (they are available year round) then make something else.

Put the butter bits into your mixing bowl along with the fresh herbs, garlic, shallot, a little salt and some pepper.
Mush the whole thing together with the back of a fork folding it over and over as you go.

Chilled butter is harder to mush but doesn't get soupy on you after being worked. You can regulate the amount of fat in the finished dish by the proportion of herbs/garlic/shallot to butter. 50/50 works well for me but you can go higher or lower if you want.

Cook the mussels:

Put enough wine in the bottom of the skillet to cover, about 4-6 ounces, depending on the size of your skillet. It is important that the skillet be large enough to hold the mussels in one layer so that they will cook evenly.
Put the skillet over high heat and when the wine begins to boil add the mussels and cover. Cook just long enough for the shells to open (about 2-3 minutes) and remove from the flame. Discard any Unopened mussels.
Carefully remove the mussels from their shells and set aside. Do this over the pan so you can save the steaming liquid and liquor from the mussels - You can add this to stock or chowder later.

Assemble the little pots.

Using the ramekins as a template, cut 3/4 inch rounds of crustless bread for each. Cut the remaining bread at an angle into 3/4 inch slices. You will need 1 slice per mussel.
Put 4-6 of the cooked, shelled mussels into the bottom of each ramekin along with about a teaspoon of the tomato concasse and 4 or 5 drops of Pernod.
Top off with chilled compound butter*, maybe a T. or more leaving a little room at the top of the ramekin. Don't squish the mussels by pressing the butter too firmly into the ramekins.
Fit the rounds into the tops of the ramekins like lids, brush lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle with a few grains of salt. Do the same with the remaining slices of bread.
Cook the ramekins on a cookie sheet in a preheated 450 degree oven until the "lids" are nicely browned and the butter is bubbling inside, maybe 10-15 minutes. Toast the bread slices on a separate rack but watch them carefully because they will burn long before the mussels are cooked.

Arrange the ramekins and bread slices on a platter and serve at once. Will serve 4-6 as a first course.

Chilled butter has less of a tendency to separate or "break" during cooking and the result is a creamier dish.

You will end up fighting over the lids so make sure you have at least one per person. Spoon the mussels with the molten herb butter onto the roasted bread slices and enjoy with a crisp Italian Pinot Grigio or an Oregon Pinot Gris.

A Sancerre from France would be ideal but they are not in vogue and somewhat difficult to find. If money is no object, then go all the way and serve these delectable mollusks with a top of the line Champagne to a gang of old friends on New Year's Eve.

XOXOXO TURTLE


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