By Mussels have a special place in my heart. My husband proposed to me right after we feasted on wild mussels that we (mostly he) harvested from the Long Island Sound. Now when I have them I can’t help but think of that special day.
This recipe combines two of my favorite summer ingredients, corn off the cob, and Hatch chile peppers. The corn and peppers are grilled to add a bit of smokiness to the mussel broth. That can be done in advance if you want to save some time later. I finish mine with parsley, but cilantro or basil would be great here too!
Mussels with Corn and Hatch Chiles (Serves 2 an entree, 4-6 as an appetizer)
Mussels should not be stinky! Look for mussels that are tightly closed. If they are opened, they should close when you press them. Discard any mussels that are cracked. To clean them scrub off the outside. Then gently pull the beards up towards the rounded part of the shell before snipping them off.
- 1 ear of shucked corn
- 2T plus 1.5 tsp olive oil, divided
- 3 Hatch chile peppers (or substitute Anaheim)
- 2 lbs mussels, beards trimmed, and cleaned
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
- 3 oz dry white wine such as pinot grigio
- 1 cup parsley leaves, large pieces torn in half
- Preheat the grill. Rub 1.5 tsp of olive oil onto the corn. Grill the corn for 10-15 minutes, until it i lightly toasted on all sides and has some grill marks, flipping occasionally. Grill the Hatch peppers for about 5 minutes, until they are lightly charred on both sides and the skin starts to peel back. Place the chiles in a bowl covered with parchment paper or a towel.
- Remove the skin from the chili peppers. Cut the tops off and remove the seeds. Cut into roughly quarter inch wide by inch and a half long pieces.
- Remove the kernels from the cob. (Save the cob for future stock, if desired!)
- Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 T of olive oil. Lower the heat a bit and add the shallots and garlic and sweat for about two minutes. Add the prepared corn, peppers, and mussels. Turn up the heat to medium high. Add the wine and simmer until all of the mussels are opened. If desired you can remove the mussels as they open and place them in a serving dish.
- Toss the parsley leaves into the broth when all the mussels have opened. Pour the corn and broth over the mussels and serve.
Down to a Simmer 