INSIDE THE KITCHEN: STEAMED BLACK MUSSELS IN SAKE

Summer is in full force here in Southern California.   This is absolutely the best time of year in my opinion. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the weather outside is asking you to steam some mussels.  

Mussels that are bathed in butter, sake, and soy married with the garlic and bacon creates an absolutely amazing sensation in your mouth.  The sweetness, the saltiness, will make you want to toast some bread and soak up some of those juices.  You wont want this dish to end.

RECIPE:

1#  Black Mussels, scrubbed, debearded

4ea  Bacon Strips, rough chop

1/4ea  White Onion, brunoise

4ea  Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2C  Sake

3T  Soy

4T  Butter, unsalted

2T  Chinese Leeks, cut into 1/2" batons

First things first...wash the mussels under cold water.  Scrub them with a brush on both sides.  Next you are going to debeard the mussel.  This is a process that removes the byssus which is a long tough filament that may adhere to the the mussel.  It actually looks like a little beard...Once you locate the beard...

...grab a hold of it with your fingertips or a kitchen towel...

...Pull it straight out...

Yes...it can be a long sucker.

Almost out, just pull it towards the top of the mussel and you are left with...

THIS

In a large saute pan, heat the bacon, 1T of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and garlic over medium heat. Do not use to much oil because the fate of the bacon will coat the bottom of the pan and that is the flavor you want.

Cook until the bacon is cooked thru and the garlic is golden brown...4 minutes.

Add the washed/debearded mussels and saute for 30 seconds so you coat the shells with the flavor of the garlic-bacon.

Deglaze the pan with sake and using a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pan releasing all the good bits from the bottom.

Reduce the sake by half and add the soy.

Cover the pan with a fitted lid and steam the mussels until all shells have opened.

Add the butter, the Chinese leeks, and serve.

Make sure each bite gets a piece of bacon, garlic, Chinese leeks and a mussel.  I just want to ensure maximum flavor.