On New Orleans, Sassy Bosses & Army Guys (Oyster Po' boy Tacos with Jalapeño Remoulade Recipe)

I was 19 the first time I went to New Orleans. It was summer and I was working full-time as a press intern in DC, where I spent most of my days writing press releases, sending media kits, and pitching stories.

I also spent a lot of time taking long Pinot Grigio-fueled lunches with my boss--a sassy older southern lady who would always say things like:

"Honey, I've been working here since sexual harassment was called flirting."

I loved her.

The coolest thing about this job (besides that lady) was that in August, all of us interns got to accompany our bosses on a business trip.

And not some lame car-trip to a conference room in nowheresville, either!

A real live business trip, via plane, to New Orleans.

Where we each got our own executive suite.

And an expense account.

For a week.

I loved it.

The one thing I didn't love about this trip was that I was alone most of the non-working time. The other intern had brought his girlfriend along so they were always off doing couple-y things together.

My closest friend on the trip was my sassy boss, but she would head back to her room early each evening (ya know...because she was in her 70s), and I would be left by myself.

At 19. In New Orleans. With a suite and an expense account.

The first couple nights were actually pretty low-key. I ordered up various crayfish dishes, and ate them on my king size bed in the hotel robe while watching pay per view movies.

But when I told this to my boss, she took pity on me and told one of my other bosses (a younger guy in his mid 30s) to:

"take the girl out, damn it"

So he dutifully chaperoned me on my first trip to Bourbon Street where I dragged him around from one non-carding Hurricane-selling booth to another.

It was madness!

Unsurprisingly, I ended up meeting a guy that night in the midst of the flurry. He was a VERY handsome 30-year-old Army sergeant whose name I remember because it was Paul Walker--just like the actor in what was then still just one The Fast & The Furious movie.

For some reason, my chaperone-boss deemed Sgt. Walker trustworthy enough to entrust with my care, and left me alone with him.

Clearly, my boss was a TERRIBLE chaperone.

Note to aspiring chaperones: don't ever leave buzzed 19-year-old girls alone on Bourbon Street with hot older Army guys on leave!

Fortunately, Sgt. Walker ended up being a pretty stand-up guy, and I (and my bosses) were surprised when he showed up in the press room at the convention center the next day with a bouquet of pink roses and an invite to lunch, during which he [at last! the point of the story!] introduced me to my first oyster po'boy.

The flavors of these fried oyster tacos remind me of that trip. Shucked oysters are coated in a crispy spiced cornmeal batter and fried until crisp. I serve them in soft tortillas spread generously with a spicy jalapeno remoulade. Add fresh tomatoes, avocados and cilantro, and you're in for a delicious summer treat.

No hurricanes, chaperones, or soldiers required.

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Oyster Po'boy Tacos with Jalapeño Remoulade

Ingredients
For the Jalapeño Remoulade:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, finely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, finely minced
1 bunch scallions, finely minced

For the oysters:
3/4 cup ground cornmeal (I like Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Coconut or Canola Oil for frying
24 oysters, shucked
Tortillas, fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, diced avocados, for serving


Directions
Make the remoulade: Whisk together sauce ingredients, cover and put in fridge to chill while you make tacos.

Prepare the oysters: Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, cayenne, paprika, baking powder, and cornstarch.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot until it reaches 350 degrees.

Working in batches, toss the oysters in the flour mixture and coat completely. Fry in the hot oil about 1 minute per side until golden and crispy. Place on a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain.

Assemble tacos--spread warm tortillas with remoulade, top with 3 or 4 oysters, and desired toppings. Serve immediately.

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Ceviche for Beginners: Easy Key Lime Scallop Ceviche

There was a time when I was terrified of ceviche.

A bowl of raw fish?! Cooked without heat??

I remember feeling suspicious about the whole thing.

I've never really been a fan of things that are too raw. Even today. I tend to stay away from very rare steak, only eat the cooked edges of seared tuna, and generally prefer complicated trendy Americanized rolls over more aggressively raw slices of bare sushi. Plates of tartare and carpaccio get pushed in my husband's direction. And while I'm ok with raw egg yolks when they disappear into a chocolate pudding, pasta carbonara, or mayonnaise, I prefer to not see bright yellow oozing all over my breakfast plate.

But the ceviche made regular appearances at the Latin restaurants we frequented growing up, and it wasn't long before I'd braved a bite, then two, and then entire plates of it.

Fresh, bright with citrus and herbs, and just a bit of heat from chile peppers. It was fish, but not fishy. Raw, but tasted somehow, magically, cooked.

It was an ideal summer choice, served alongside crispy tortillas or salty plantain chips.

And the truth is that as far as quick cooking methods,  ceviche is about as easy and no-fuss as you can get. At its most simple, it's simply good seafood or fish tossed with lime or lemon juice.

That's seriously it!

Then you can add herbs, spices, sliced chiles, diced fruit, nuts or vegetables...really just about anything but the base is simple.

This recipe only calls for 4 required ingredients (not counting salt & pepper), and the flavor is incredible. I love these rolled up into warm tortillas for easy ceviche tacos (add some diced avocado for creaminess) or even served with tortilla chips like a kind of entree salsa.

As far as raw seafood is concerned, scallops are one of the safest things you can eat. Tiny bay scallops are in season right now and require no prep, but you can also use large sea scallops and just dice them up.

And key lime juice is particularly special with a brighter and slightly sweeter flavor than regular limes. I juiced my own, but you can buy fresh bottled key lime juice at many grocery stores. Or just use regular limes.

Have you ever tried ceviche? Would you make it at home?

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Easy Key Lime Scallop Ceviche Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound fresh bay scallops, rinsed under cold water
3/4 cup fresh key lime juice (from about 15 key limes, or use regular fresh lime juice)
1-2 jalapenos, seeds removed and very thinly sliced (I used one red and one green for color)
1/4 cup minced chives (substitute finely minced red onion or scallions)
Kosher salt and black pepper

Optional garnishes: chopped cilantro leaves, diced avocado, tortilla or plantain chips, for serving

Directions
Place bay scallops in a large non-reactive bowl (such as glass) and pour in the key lime juice. Add the sliced peppers, and chives. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat well. Cover with plastic. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, and not longer than 3 hours.

Serve cold garnished with cilantro, and with tortillas, plantain chips, or chips on the side.

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Angels on Horseback (Bacon-Wrapped Oysters with Horseradish)

There is a little seafood restaurant in the West Village that has become a favorite of ours. It's named FISH, and is a low-key sort of place with wooden tables, chalkboard menus, and peanut shells on the floor.

I've been going there regularly since I moved to New York a little over 5 years ago, and with few exceptions, I always order the exact same meal:  a heaping pile of lobster cob salad for my main (try this similar rock shrimp cob salad recipe here) and Angels on Horseback to start.

If you've never tried them before, Angels on Horseback--especially as they are prepared at FISH--are a revelation. Shucked oysters wrapped in crispy double-smoked bacon topped with cocktail sauce and horseradish.

The perfect combination of salty, briny, smokey and sweet, these tend to disappear within minutes of touching the table. I love them so much that on one visit with a friend, I ordered a second round as my "dessert."

I highly recommend it if you're ever in town.

For Valentine's Day this year, Eugene and I decided to keep it low-key with an easy (but still decadent!) dinner at home. I've found that most restaurants are terrible at Valentine's Day, rushing everyone through and serving a menu that replaces all their usual best dishes with silly themed items (pickled rose petals?!) served at a premium price.

I was having none of that, and instead planned a meal freshly baked sourdough bread with Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor cheese, kale and roasted sweet potato salad with anchovy dressing (recipe coming soon!), broiled lobster tails, spicy roasted red pepper potatoes, and (the pièce de résistance!) homemade Angels on Horseback to start.

Dessert was a big bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries. We stayed in our comfy pajamas, opened a bottle of Champagne, and ate our feast on the couch while catching up on our favorite shows.

It was perfection. (Hudson thought so, too.)

The Angels on Horseback were something of my gift to Eugene, who is a fan, and was absolutely delighted to be presented with an entire platter of them. They're very easy to prepare, and are wonderful for entertaining since they can be prepped almost completely in advance and then simply call for a couple minutes under the broiler to heat before serving.

They pair perfectly with Champagne or crisp white wine, so would make a wonderful Oscar viewing party appetizer if you're so inclined.

(Never mind if your "viewing party" is just you on the couch!)

I have a couple tips that I figured out when making these at home that will make this as easy as possible for you:

• Start with pre-shucked oysters. You can usually get a container of them at the seafood counter or just pick oysters and have the fishmonger shuck them for you. (I got mine from Fresh Direct.)  
• If you have the option, ask to keep the shells as you can then serve them on the shell (I didn't, but that's how they do it at the restaurant and it's quite lovely.)
• Use good quality, thick bacon from the meat counter. I love Schaller & Weber's Black Forest, but any kind of good double-smoked bacon will do.  You can use the one in the packets, but it's a great place to show off the good stuff so do it if you can.
• Cook the bacon on a skillet or on the stove before wrapping the oysters. This assures that you get crisp bacon without overcooking the oysters. 
• Wrap the oysters and prep everything in advance, then broil and garnish just before serving. 

Don't like or can't find oysters? You can also use scallops or shrimp. (Though this is technically called "mock rumaki," a retro appetizer that I served at my 1960s cocktail party) I would avoid clams as they can be a bit too chewy.

For a seafood-free version, try making my Bacon-Wrapped Dates, which are known as Devils on Horseback.

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Angels on Horseback (Bacon-Wrapped Oysters with Horseradish Appetizer Recipe)
Makes 12 appetizers. Multiply recipe as necessary.

Ingredients
6 strips smoked thick-cut bacon
12 shucked raw oysters
1/2 cup cocktail sauce (homemade or store-bought)
3/4 cup freshly grated horseradish (or use prepared horseradish for a tangier flavor)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Special equipment: 12 toothpicks

Directions
Cut bacon slices in half. Place a skillet over low heat and add the bacon, cooking on both sides until slightly cooked but still pliable (do not let bacon get completely crispy or you won't be able to wrap it around the oyster).

Let bacon cool, then place on oyster on the end and wrap so that the bacon completely overlaps it by at least one inch. Use a toothpick to secure in place.

When ready to serve. Preheat your broiler and arrange prepared bacon-wrapped oysters on a baking sheet. Broil about 3-5 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp on top and oysters have shrunken slightly. Remove from oven and and place on serving platter. Top each one with a dollop of cocktail sauce and a generous pile of horseradish. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

 

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Semolina-Crusted Soft-Shell Crab BKT Sandwiches

The soft-shell crabs got me again this year! They are my favorite, and I look forward to them each year in such a way that I can tell you exactly what I was doing last year the first time I ate them for the season.

Soft-shell crabs are generally in season from about late-April through July; just in time to signify the beginning of good weather days--of warm outdoor meals and sunny afternoon walks. It's glasses of cold white wine, sweet berries, and long, lazy evenings spent sitting outdoors until long after the sun goes down.

I squealed when I saw them in stock at the store, excitedly messaging Eugene to tell him the good news. I immediately bought four, visions of overflowing soft-shell crab BLT sandwiches floating in my head.

I love being surprised by seasonal food. I love that feeling of walking into a market or opening up a restaurant menu and suddenly seeing that dish or ingredient that I love but haven't been able to eat all year. It's one of the best things about eating seasonally--that sense of real joy and appreciation that we completely miss by forcing food to conform to our whims and cravings, rather than the seasons laid out by God and nature.

I was explaining this to a friend recently and I compared the excitement to the one we feel in the beginning of Spring or near the end of Summer in the parts of the world where the seasons change; where you can feel  the bright heat of summer and the biting cold of winter. As harsh and difficult as it can be to deal with the changes, I welcome them. After a long hot summer, I look forward to pulling out the thick sweater dresses and tall boots. And in the spring, I anxiously await the moment when I can run outside in little more than a pair of flip-flops and a breezy dress.

We may have found a way to control our food by flying and trucking it in from far away, but the weather is something that we have little dominion over--even in the more temperate of climates. We can predict it, but we can't change it or mold it. We can't package sunshine and ship it across state lines. We can't bottle up rain clouds and sell them to a country in need of rain. And we can't, no matter how often we may joke about it, bring good weather back with us as a vacation souvenir.

But I like that. I like that there are some things we're forced to recognize are out of our control. That no matter how hard we try, we're ultimately not the boss of this Earth, but rather the other way around.

I like to pan-fry my soft-shell crabs. A quick drench in buttermilk and semolina flour then fried to a crisp in a bit of olive oil and bacon fat is the perfect way to bring out the natural flavors and textures. They're wonderful this way on their own with little more than a squeeze of lemon, but I also love to layer them into a sandwich using the best of everything--freshly baked ciabatta sandwich rolls spread generously with mayonnaise, thick slices of crispy Black Forest bacon, a few sliced tomatoes, and (the surprise) big pieces of leafy kale.

I really recommend replacing lettuce with fresh kale in your sandwiches. Kale--hearty and packed with nutrients--works beautifully in sandwiches. It holds up well, looks gorgeous, and adds great texture and flavor. It's inexpensive too, and will keep much longer in the fridge than regular lettuce. Try it on your next sandwich or burger, and let me know what you think!

I served this sandwich for lunch last weekend, along with a basket of homemade tortilla chips and a bottle of chilled Vinho Verde. The entire meal (chips included) took about 40 minutes to put together and cost around $20 for the two of us, wine included. (And we never even had to change out of our pajamas!)

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Thanks so much for reading!!

Semolina-Crusted Soft-Shell Crab BKT Sandwiches
Fresh raw kale leaves replace the traditional lettuce in this variation of a BLT
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
8 strips of thick-cut bacon
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided
2 cups semolina flour (can replace with cornmeal or regular all-purpose)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 sandwich rolls, sliced in half (use a hearty roll such as ciabatta)
Mayonnaise
4 leaves of kale, rinsed and patted dry
1 large tomato, sliced thinly

Directions
Rinse the the cleaned soft-shell crabs and pat dry (Note: cleaning will typically be done by the fish monger upon purchase--it entails cutting off the "face" portion of the crab, among other things.).

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp and remove to a towel-lined plate to drain, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.

Combine the buttermilk, pepper, and salt in a shallow bowl. Pour the flour into a separate shallow bowl and season with the other teaspoon each of black pepper and salt. Whisk to combine. Dip each crab into the buttermilk and coat completely, then dredge in the flour mixture until full coated. Tap off the excess flour and set on a tray while you repeat with the rest of the crabs.

Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet with the bacon fat and heat over medium high heat. When hot, cook the crabs, two at a time about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crisp. (Watch out because the crabs may spit once in the hot oil.) Let the cooked crabs drain on a towel-lined plate.

To assemble:
Spread mayonnaise to taste on one side of the split ciabatta loaves. Top each sandwich with one slice kale, one crab, two slices of bacon, and the tomatoes. Top with other half of roll and serve immediately.

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Ginger Scallion Crab Cakes

I'm a little bit obsessed with a restaurant here in the city called Fatty Crab. A funky take on Malaysian street food, the menu is an absolute assault of spice and flavor (in the best possible way). I went there for the first time last August for my friend Lindsay's birthday, during which she, a few friends, and I spent two hours splitting spicy family style dishes and moaning over every new flavor.

Think dishes like crispy pork served with gingery pickled watermelons, sticky sweet coconut fried rice, giant bowls of messy and fiery chili crab, and cocktails flavored with cilantro, lime, and generous shots of chili-infused rum. And I didn't even have to order dessert (which I *always* do!) because they just always give it to you automatically. For free. (Usually a delicious chewy mochi cake that's so good it keeps me up at night gnawing on my pillow.)

I seriously loved my first meal there so much, that I spent the next month daydreaming about it and trying to recreate the dishes at home. After hearing about me rave and rave for months, Eugene finally agreed to join me for a meal there. I was so psyched about this, and bopped around the apartment in expectation for days, convinced that he, too, was going to love it.

But he didn't!

For some, weird strange reason that I still don't understand, he doesn't like the place. You can imagine how much of let down this was; I would eat at this place constantly if I could, but my main and most adored dining companion is... Just. Not. A fan.

::Sigh::

So, while I hunt around for a dining buddy with a similar interest in the bold and the spicy, I've been forced to continue and try to chase down these intense flavors in my own kitchen. (The aforementioned Lindsay, who is herself rather bold and spicy and whom would have made a fine dining companion, is unfortunately disqualified from this role due to distance and upcoming international gallivants.)

I've come close a few times; once with a recipe for gingery meatballs that have been sitting in the queue for ages (soon! I promise!). My latest creation are these ginger and scallion crab cakes, which are packed with ginger and cilantro and enough heat to quell my Fatty Crab fantasies, at least for a week or so. Even if you have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to this place, trust me when I say that these crabcakes are absolutely delicious and make for a brilliant dinner or lunch. They can even be prepared ahead of time, so that all you have to do before dinner (or a dinner party) is heat the oil and sizzle them until golden.

And yes, if you are one of those poor people who can't handle cilantro, you can skip it. (Though it breaks my heart to even type that...)

If you're wondering how to serve them, I love them over a big bed of mixed greens dressed with a mustardy vinaigrette (just whisk together a tablespoon of mustard with some red wine vinegar, diced shallots, and olive oil and toss with the greens). Depending on how big I make them, 2 or 3 crab cakes per person is enough for a meal. If you want something a bit heartier, you can also serve these with a lemon risotto, or with any number of grilled or steamed vegetables. I dig them with the salad though; crab cakes and salad are just perfect in my book.

I hope you enjoy these! And if my raving has motivated you to check out Fatty Crab for yourself, email me first at Alejandra@AlwaysOrderDessert.com and I'll send you a list of my favorite "must try this" items from their menu.


A BONUS Challenge For You: I'm going to officially put it out there that I will bake a big 10" cake of your choice to the first person who obtains and sends me the recipe for those freaking amazing chewy mochi cakes (the actual Fatty Crab recipe, that is).


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New to Always Order Dessert? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates by filling in your address in the box on the right.

And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me.

Thanks for reading!

Ginger Scallion Crab Cakes
Serves 2-4

Ingredients
olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 shallot minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs/flakes) or 1 cup plain regular bread crumbs
1 pound fresh or pasteurized crab meat (claw or back-fin is fine for this dish, but you can also use the pricier jumbo lump)

Directions
Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat, and add the minced garlic, shallots, and ginger. Saute for 2 minutes, just until they start to get a bit of color and release an aromatic smell. remove from heat and pour (along with oil) into a large bowl.

To the bowl, add the chopped scallions, cilantro, minced jalapeno, red pepper, mayonnaise, lime juice, soy sauce if using, egg, salt, and black pepper. Mix until well combined. Fold in the panko and crabmeat and gently mix until well combined (careful not to break up the crab meat too much).

Use a large spoon to scoop up servings of about a 1/2 cup and shape into a patty with your hands. Place on a wax or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the mix (depending on how big you make the patties you should get about 8-10 patties).

Let the patties set for about 10 minutes (I used the time to clean up).

Pour about a 1/4 of olive oil into a heavy bottomed skillet (meaning the oil should come up the pan about a 1/4 inch) and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, use a spatula to gently slide the patties into the oil in batches. (I do 2-3 at time, max). Let fry on the first side for about 2-3 minutes and then flip using the spatula. Let fry on the other side for another 2-3 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet.

Continue with the rest of the patties (you can also just make a few of them and leave the rest covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 2 days).

Serve immediately on a bed of dressed mixed greens or with another favorite side dish. Offer cocktail sauce on the side, if desired.

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Steamed Mussels with White Wine, Bacon & Rosemary

The first time I ever made mussels, I was in college. It was my sophomore year and I was sharing a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom suite with three other girls in a building called The Dakota. I remember the name mostly because on parent's visitation day, one of the girl's father commented that our building was a "very famous" one and that he thought "someone famous once lived" there.

I remember humoring him when he said this, even though I knew that he was really thinking of John Lennon's Dakota by Central Park, not our mid-century Washington, DC condo. He was one of those terrible dads who earlier that summer had used my roommate's social security number to get himself a credit card, but on that day, everyone was all smiles so I figured I ought not rock the boat.

Of the four girls, I was the only one who ever really used the kitchen. My favorite roommate spent all her time with her boyfriend. The fourth roommate seemed to be perpetually going on or returning from overseas expeditions. And the other girl (the one with the deadbeat dad) stuck to an odd diet of Skippy peanut butter, white bread, and frozen vegetarian nuggets that she defrosted in the microwave.

I was fine with this arrangement, which left me with a full kitchen (with dishwasher and trash disposal!) and fridge all to myself (except for the nuggets), and spent most of my days baking cakes, roasting chickens, and stirring large pots of risotto.

I'd been cooking quite a bit since I was in high school, but until then I'd never really cooked any seafood by myself. Lately though, each time I went grocery shopping, I felt myself being drawn towards the large fresh seafood counter. It took me a while to work up the courage, but I finally did it; marching straight up to the counter one afternoon, I stared at the options trying to make a decision. Before I was ready, the fishmonger caught me by surprise, and in a panic I pointed to the first thing I saw: a bed of shiny blue-black mussels tied in little net sacks and piled like pebbles on the ice.

"Can I have one of those?" I asked.

He picked up a sack and swung it before me, "It's two pounds. That enough?" I nodded quickly and watched as wrapped them into a bundle of brown paper.

I felt like a grown-up as I leaned over the counter to grab the package they way my mother always did. I was a grown-up lady, buying seafood at the supermarket.

Back in my dorm that evening, I cleaned the mussels in the sink like I'd seen my mother do, scrubbing them with a wet paper towel and pulling off the little fuzzy beards that cling to the end. I heated my biggest pot and added half a bottle of white wine (purchased with my old fake ID, of course), a roughly chopped onion, a few garlic cloves, and a big handful of parsley. I then dropped the mussels in, wincing a bit as the pebbles hit the hard bottom with a clang, and slammed on the top.

When my roommate came home a bit later she found me sitting alone at the table, book in hand with a glass of white wine and my giant plate of mussels. She fixed herself a peanut butter sandwich and joined me. Looking from my plate to her sandwich, she shook her head.

"You're so much more mature than the rest of us!"

"I'm not, " I replied, acknowledging the fact that I'd skipped class to go to the market. "I just have totally different priorities."

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New to Always Order Dessert? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates by filling in your address in the box on the right. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!

Steamed Mussels with White Wine, Bacon & Rosemary
Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as an appetizer

Ingredients
2 pounds mussels
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 strips center-cut bacon, cut into 1/2 pieces
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
5 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2-3 whole sprigs, fresh rosemary (can sub 1/4 cup dried rosemary)
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
2.5 cups dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
3 tablespoons butter
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

1. Scrub and debeard the mussels under cold water. Discard any that are cracked or which do not close completely after being touched. (If using frozen mussels, let thaw before rinsing and cooking.) Set aside.

2. In a large dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot, heat 3 tablespoons o of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pieces of bacon and let cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp.

3. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until shallots are transluscent and garlic has just a hint of color (about 2-3 minutes).

4. Add wine, red pepper, and rosemary and bring to a simmer. When the wine is boiling, add the mussels to the pot and cover. Let mussels steam for 2-3 minutes, then use a spoon to toss. Recover and let steam for an additional 4 minutes, until most of the mussels have opened all the way. (there may be a couple that don't open)

5. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mussels to a large bowl. Discard any mussels that didn't open all the way during cooking.

6. Return the pot with the broth to the flame and whisk in the butter and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced.

Pour broth over the mussels and serve with a warmed French baguette or roasted potatoes (you need something to soak up that amazing broth!)

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