Satisfy your curiosity.  😉

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1st Course:  Mussels in spicy saffron white wine

 

2nd Course:  Duck breast with Beech Mushrooms and Fresh Zucchini

Fun Fact:  Mussels are THE perfect dinner party appetizer.  For whatever reason, mussels tend to intimidate people, so they’re often overlooked as options for dinner at home.  This is such a mistake.  The fact is, mussels just might be the easier thing you will ever cook.  AND, believe it or not, duck breast is really quite simple to prepare as well!  Now…keep in mind, your guests do not know that.  See where I’m going with this?  😉

 What you’ll need:

For the appetizer:

• Medium to Large Saucepan
• 1/2 to 1 lb. of Mussels per person (I prefer black mussels or Prince Edward Island style…but you may certainly use Green Lip if you prefer)
• White wine
• Garlic (fresh…ALWAYS)
• Lemon
• Saffron
• Fresno chili (jalapeno may be substituted)
• EVOO
• Toast Points

Prep:

1. Clean your mussels:  If you have a shellfish brush, great!  Use that.  If not, just hold the mussel in one hand and grasp the ‘beard‘ (sometimes easier is you’re holding a cloth) with the fingers of your other hand and pull all of the ‘beard’ toward the hinge end, allowing the hinge closure to ‘tear’ the beard away from the mussel.  If you pull the beard toward the mussel opening and ‘tear’ it away from the mussels, you will notice a fleshy piece comes with it…this is part of the mussel itself and usually results in killing the mussel, which we do not want.  Now transfer the mussel to a bowl of cold fresh water.  Here you will let all the mussels sit in the water for about 20 minutes.  Remember mussels are alive, and they are natures water filters…so while they are in the fresh water, they are still ‘filtering’, so they are now extracting salt and sand which they picked up in the ocean.  After 20 minutes, you will notice small granules at the bottom of the bowl.  Therefore at this point, you remove the mussels with your hands…do not pour them into a strainer or you will reintroduce the sand right over the top of them again.
2. If you have a mortar and pestle, your saffron should be ground if possible.  If you do not, you can chop it as finely as possible.
3. Squeeze juice from 1/2 a lemon and make sure all seeds are removed from juice.
4. Remove middle/seeds from chili and dice it.
5. Mince 1 fresh garlic clove.
6. Measure 1/2 to 3/4 cup of white wine per 1-2 mussel portions
7. Halve 1 slice of fresh bread so it is ready to toast.

Heat 2 tbs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil over medium heat in your saucepan.  Once the oil is rippling (prior to smoking…do not burn your oil!), add your saffron.  Heat is the catalyst that allows saffron to ‘infuse’ into the oil.  Do not burn the saffron…just allow it to infuse it’s golden color into the oil.  Then add your diced chilis and minced garlic, allowing them to sweat for 10 seconds or so.  Now pour your white wine into the pan and stir.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, add your mussels and cover the pan.  When your mussels open, they’re done!  90% of them should open at about the same time.  Allow them to stay over the heat for an additional 30 to 45 seconds and remove.  Drop your toast!  Any mussels that have not opened by this point should be discarded.  (Do not cook any longer or your mussels will become overdone and rubbery.)

The mussels should be served in a bowl with broth and toast points (please see  picture).  Suggested serving would also include a discard bowl (empty bowl along side for discarded mussel shells), a cocktail fork, knife and a spoon.

Champagne or Sauvignon Blanc are delicious pairing for this appetizer…Cheers!

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For the entree:

• 6 oz. Duck Breast (per person)
• 1/3 to 1/2 stock of beech mushrooms
• 1/2 of medium zucchini, sliced
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Fresh rosemary
• Fresh garlic clove

Prep:

1. Have a pyrex rammekin or bowl ready to pour duck fat into (you will be using it later).
2. Slice your zucchini (as pictured).
3. Slice ‘bulky’ bottom of mushroom cluster off, so that each individual mushroom is freely separated.
4. Mince garlic clove.

Place your duck breast, fat side down, in a room temperature pan and place on burner.  Turn burner on to medium/low heat.  Season duck breast meat with salt, pepper and freshly chopped rosemary.  As the pan heats up, wiggle duck breast slightly, to avoid sticking/burning to pan (duck fat will begin to render out quickly, so there is no need for any other cooking medium such as olive oil etc…).  Allow 1-2 tbs of duck fat to render out into the pan and then pour that off into your pyrex bowl. Return pan with duck breast to heat so that you may now render even more duck fat out (you need to remove the fat periodically to allow the rendering process to take place).  This process should last for 10 to 15 minutes.  (if your breast fat is burning, your heat is up too high).

After the rendering is complete (the fat layer should be quite thin now and toasted), add your mushrooms to the pan and pour your duck fat back over the mushrooms into the pan.  Toss the mushrooms around so they are coated in the fat.  Then add your zucchini, toss lightly again and cover the pan.  Allow to cook while covered for 5 minutes (NO MORE!  You do NOT want to overcook the duck breast…it should be medium rare).

Pull your duck breast from the pan and let it rest on the cutting board.  At this time, add your minced garlic to the zucchini and mushroom mixture left in the pan, shut off the heat and stir around lightly to evenly dispurse the garlic and cover again (and leave to warm using just the heat left over from the pan).

After 5 minutes of rest time, slice your duck and set it on the plate (as pictured).  Add your zucchini and mushrooms along side and enjoy and nice red Rhone wine (Hermitage or GSM blend would be great here!) with your masterpiece!

Your guests are gonna be so impressed!

Bon Appetit!