Steamed mussels bring a kick of spice to traditional Italian holiday meal GRETCHEN MCKAY
Pittsburgh PostGazette
Christmas cookie exchanges and cocoa with Santa notwithstanding, here's a culinary tradition worth trying during the month of December: the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Traditionally celebrated by Italian American families and fans of Italian food on Dec. 24, the meatless Italian meal features seven courses (and sometimes many more), each with a diff erent seafood.
Even though it's a relatively new tradition born in the U.S. (it's virtually unknown to Italians living in Italy), the fish-forward feast is thought to have roots that stretch back centuries to southern Italy. Abstaining from meat and dairy products on the eve of certain holidays, including on Vigilia di Natale, is a precept of Roman Catholicism. So the best guess is that when Italian immigrants arrived in America during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, they wanted to bring a taste of home to their new country while also creating their own traditions.
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That there are seven dishes is also something of a mystery. Its religious significance -- the number seven appears throughout the Bible -- could convey the week it took God to create the Earth, or the number of cardinal sins or sacraments in Roman Catholic theology. Another possibility: Ancient Rome was built on a group of seven hills.
However the tradition came about, all that really matters is that the Feast of Seven Fishes off ers an occasion, and reason, for families and friends to come together for a good meal and celebrate their heritage.
This recipe, adapted from Serious Eats, puts a spicy spotlight on mussels. 'Nduja, a soft and spreadable pork sausage made with Calabrian chiles, goes into the pan along with crushed tomato and white wine, creating a rich, tomatoey sauce that pleasantly burns on the palate. (Hint: You'll want lots of bread to soak up every last drop.)
When buying mussels, look for shells that are tightly closed and smell fresh and briny, but not fishy. It's best to cook them the day you buy them, though you can refrigerate them, removed from the bag and covered loosely with a damp paper towel, for a day or so if that's what your schedule mandates.
They don't take long to cook; you'll know they're done when the shells open. Any mussels that fail to open during cooking should be discarded -- that means they were dead and unsafe to eat.
Spicy steamed mussels with 'nduja
You can find 'nduja next to refrigerated charcuterie at Italian markets. If you find a "beard" on the mussel (it looks like a thread), grab it with your fingers and pull firmly toward the hinge end of the shell until it snaps off .
Servings: 2 to 4, depending on whether it's a main course or appetizer
Ingredients
■ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
■ 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
■ 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
■ Kosher salt
■ 2 ounces 'nduja (spreadable pork sausage)
■ 1 cup dry white wine
■ 15-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand
■ 2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
■ ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
■ Juice and zest from ½ lemon, or more to taste
■ 1 loaf rustic Italian bread, thickly sliced, drizzled with olive oil and broiled until heavily toasted
Directions
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallots and garlic, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add 'nduja and, using a wooden spoon, break it into pieces and stir vigorously to combine with shallots and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until fat from 'nduja separates and shallots and garlic are stained red and fully coated with 'nduja, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add wine and crushed tomatoes, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
Add mussels, stir, cover, and cook, shaking pan constantly and peeking every 30 seconds to stir. Cook just until all the mussels are open, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and using tongs or a slotted spoon, quickly transfer mussels to a warmed heatproof serving bowl. Cover mussels with saucepan lid to keep warm.
Add parsley, lemon juice and zest to saucepan and stir to combine. Taste the liquid, and adjust seasoning with salt or more lemon juice and/or zest, if needed. (I added about ½ teaspoon of salt.)
Remove lid from the serving bowl, and pour contents of saucepan over mussels. Serve immediately, passing toasted bread at the table along with a large empty bowl for collecting spent mussel shells.
-- Adapted from seriouseats.com
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