Sake Miso Mussels with Wilted Greens and Crispy, Oven Baked Fries

Check this out for an insanely delicious meal that is impressive enough to deserve a spot on the Sunday night menu but simple enough to make an appearance during the week.

What's funny about this meal selection is that I'm the one who chose it and, until very recently, I was still weary of mussels. While over the years I have exponentially expanded my palate, mussels never quite made their way to the top of my list. I was fine with clams, loved oysters, but couldn't quite bring myself to becoming a mussels fan. But then something changed. All of a sudden, I found myself actually enjoying these little meaty sauce vessels. They can be messy but if cooked right, they are a true delight. And I've learned that they are actually really easy to cook correctly! Mussels are one of the only foods that actually tell you when they are done! Just watch out for the moment they open and voila, you should have a perfectly cooked mussel!

One of the trickier preparations is in the side dish: crispy baked french fries - emphasis on the crispy. I can't tell you how many times I have popped fry-cut potatoes into the oven only to result in a limp roasted product. Only recently have I figured out the secret: boiling the potatoes before baking.

Cut Russet potatoes into your desired shape (no need to remove the skin) and place them in a pot of salted, boiling water for around 4-6 minutes (depending on the size of the fry) until the potato just begins to soften. What you are doing here is essentially pulling out the starch which can prevent the fries from getting crispy. Then, use a slotted spoon to remove the fries and place them on a towel or rack to "dry out." (You don't want water to stay in the potato before roasting). After a toss in olive oil and about 25 minutes in a 400F degree oven, you have yourself perfectly crispy and guiltless baked french fries. All ready for dipping in the mussel broth!

I also picked up some shishito peppers from, surprise, Trader Joe's! These are one of my favorite simple treats. Preparation is simple and the result is addicting. Heat some oil in a heavy pan until almost smoking. Then add the peppers, stirring during cooking until you see even blistering (beautiful browning) of the pepper. This only takes a few minutes. This serves to soften the pepper and bring a beautiful depth of flavor with the quick stir-fry.

And now for the key to the preparation: coarse sea salt (or regular if that's all you have). Sprinkle the salt liberally over the peppers. Pop them in your mouth and you won't be disappointed. Only a few peppers will be "spicy" so it's a bit of a gamble which adds to the fun of the dish.

And if the crispy bakes fries or blistered shishito peppers weren't excitement enough - we made a fabulously simple, Asian-inspired mussel dish.

We had sake and miso already in our refrigerator and were thinking of our typical preparation of a miso-glazed fish. But that is usually best refrigerated and marinated overnight so I had the idea of using those ingredients in a simple mussel dish. I found a perfect recipe online and was super-pleased with the result. The broth is full of umami (think depth) with a hint of velvety sweetness. I could (and did) just drink it. Take a mussel, fill up the shell with the broth, and enjoy!

Sake Miso Mussels with Wilted Greens

original recipe found here

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil or coconut oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (from 1-inch piece)
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 pounds mussels 
• 1 1/4 cups dry sake or white wine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons white (or other mellow) miso
• 4 ounces baby spinach or other delicate leafy green (i.e. not kale), thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a medium 3-quart saucepan or cast iron pot over medium heat. When oil is warm and shimmers, add shallots, turn to coat and cook until just softened. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add mussels, stir to coat, then add sake or wine and cover. Cook until mussels open, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Using a slotted spoon, remove mussels to a serving plate (discard any mussels that don't open). Add miso and butter to the saucepan and stir until smooth. Immediately remove from heat, stir in greens until just wilted, pour over mussels (avoiding any grit at the bottom of the pan), and serve with crusty bread or french fries.

Note: we had some octopus that had been prepped (boiled) the previous night so we broiled that (to add crispiness), cut it, and added it to the mussels to a) be resourceful and use up leftovers and b) add some additional interest and texture to the dish.