Mussels a la Española

Recipe by Ana Pau Lopez Serves 4

“A classical dish from Spain. It pairs nicely with a cold beer on a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!”

1 package mussels, cleaned and de-bearded

1 onion, diced in small pieces

2 cloves garlic, diced in small pieces

½ cup (118.5 milliliters) red wine

1 cup (236.6 milliliters) water

½ cup (118.5 milliliters) juice from the mussels, obtained during steaming process

1 tablespoon (7.8 grams) flour

1 cup (236.6 milliliters) tomato sauce

1 tablespoon (14.8 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon (2.3 grams) paprika

2 jalapeños, diced into small pieces (optional)

1 tablespoon (14.1 grams) chorizo paste (optional) (I like Nduja brand) Flatleaf parsley, for garnish

To clean the mussels:

Place the mussels in a colander in the sink, run cold water. Using a clean scrubbing brush, and taking one mussel at a time, place under the water and scrub off any debris like seaweed, sand, barnacles or mud that could be on the shell.

To de-beard the mussels: The “beard” is a clump of hair-like fibers that protrude from the side of the shell.

To remove the beard, grab it with your thumb and forefinger and tug it toward the hinge of the mussel shell. You may also use a knife to gently scrape away the beard.

If you find any mussels with a broken shell, discard them. If a mussel is open along the lips, lightly tap it shut. If the mussel closes again in response, it is alive. If it does not close in response, discard it.

To steam the mussels:

In a double boiler: Add 1 cup of water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Place a second, slightly larger pot on top of the one containing the water, creating a double boiler. Place the mussels inside the top pot and cover. Cook until the mussels open. Once cooked, drain out the juice and set aside.

In a pan: Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Add the mussels, cover the pan and cook until the mussels open. Once cooked, drain out the juice and set aside.

To make the sauce:

In the olive oil, sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeños on medium heat. Add salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add flour to the mixture. Cook on medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly as flour can burn easily.

Add the tomato sauce, paprika and chorizo paste. Bring to a simmer. If the tomato paste tastes too acidic, add a teaspoon of sugar. Cook on low medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the wine and increase temperature to medium high heat to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Cook for about 7 minutes. Once evaporated, add the juice from the mussels.

Using a hand blender, blend the sauce into a smooth consistency.

To serve, heat and plate the sauce. Place open mussels on top and garnish with flat leaf parsley. Enjoy with a toasted baguette.

Note: This recipe can be made ahead of time and served right before your dinner party.

Spicy Spring Smash

Recipe by Daniel Hunter-Holly | Photos by Daniela Loera Makes 1 serving

“The Spicy Spring Smash is easy to make, and the best part is that it is extremely flexible; you can use a variety of seasonal fruit, such as strawberries, pineapple, mangoes, or even passion fruit. Even the base spirit can be swapped!

“Great cocktails celebrate craftsmanship, from the extraordinary amount of care that goes into growing the ingredients for different liqueurs to the history and tradition of the distillation process, to the alchemy of combining the ingredients in just the right way.”

2 thin slices fresh ginger, ⅛-inch thick

2–3 strawberries, quartered

1 teaspoon (5 grams) extra fine granulated sugar

1½ ounces (44 milliliters) white rum

½ ounce (14.7 milliliters) Ancho

Reyes Verde Chile Poblano Liqueur*

½ ounce (14.7 milliliters) triple sec like Grand Marnier

¾ ounce (22.2 milliliters) fresh lime juice

Sprig of basil or mint, for garnish

Muddle the ginger, strawberries and sugar in a mixing glass.

Add the rum, liqueurs and juice and shake with crushed ice.

Pour into a rocks glass without straining and add the garnish.

*Ancho Reyes Verde is the primary ingredient that makes the drink spicy. You can substitute by adding a slice of jalapeño to the rum and letting it infuse for a few minutes before straining and continuing with the recipe. Just be aware that fresh chiles can be inconsistently spicy.

For the pineapple and mango cocktails recipes see our website www.ediblergv.com