Tied in a Bow March 2015 | Page 10

Chef Lynnie's

Recipe of the Month

Cozze allo zafferano

Mussels in Saffron Broth

Mussels are an excellent choice for a seafood dish. . You can’t beat them since they are so versatile, yet simple, inexpensive and not fishy tasting.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon saffron thread

1 cup hot water

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup onion, chopped

2 lbs mussels, cleaned and debearded

1 cup dry white wine or 1 cup beer

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

fresh ground black pepper

salt, only if needed

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine the saffron with the hot water and let sit about 30 minutes.

In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat; cook garlic until it starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes.

Add onion and cook until it starts to soften, 4 minutes.

Add the mussels, wine, thyme, bay leaf and saffron with water; cover pot and cook until the shells open, 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the shells and divide between serving bowls, discarding any shells did not open.

At this point strain the broth into a large skillet;

At any rate, increase the heat to a rolling boil and cook to slightly reduce the broth and thicken, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the parsley and remaining tablespoon of oil; taste and add salt and/or pepper as needed.

Pour broth over mussels and serve.

Chef Lynn Johnson has just published his latest book, "Delicioso" which is available at www.amazon.com, www.createspace.com and on Kindle. It is also coming soon to a bookstore near you.

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