Crimson Mussels

The past two nights, Frank and I have been enjoying mussels. We enjoy seafood and we got these mussels for a great deal.  Frank made mussels the first night with a white sauce.  The white sauce is a blend of garlic, onions, butter, white wine and seasonings.  Mussels are often served with a white sauce accompanied with toasted bread.

Frank's Drunken Mussels

I made the mussels with a red sauce.  I have only seen this once at Gilt Bar.  It was delicious, so I wanted to make something similar. I am quite fond of the red sauce.  Here's my Crimson Mussel recipe.

Sheila's Crimson Mussels

Crimson Mussels Print         

Yields: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb mussels

6 oz tomato paste

12 oz water

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tomato, diced

1 tbsp cooking oil

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp heavy cream

Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Clean mussels very well and set aside.

2. In a medium sized pot on medium heat, add cooking oil, minced garlic, tomato paste, water, diced tomatoes, and seasoning (salt, pepper, and paprika). Mix well.

3. Add heavy cream and incorporate.  Let come to a boil. 

4. Once boiled, add mussels and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve with bread.