Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times - Mark Bittman [26]
2. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mussels begin to open. The mussels are done when they’re all open and their juices have run out and evaporated in the hot pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately, in the pan.
VARIATIONS
Black Skillet Clams or Oysters
This dish can be made with hardshell clams—littlenecks, cherrystones, or quahogs—or with oysters. (Softshell clams, or steamers, are too sandy for this treatment.) Be sure to wash the shells of any of these mollusks very well and discard any whose shells are open or cracked. As with the mussels, they are done when their shells open.
To add a slightly different flavor:
• When the mussels begin to open, add 4 cloves of crushed, peeled garlic to the pan, shaking the pan as directed.
• Gently melt 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter in a small saucepan. (If you like, add Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste, along with the juice of a lemon.) Serve it alongside the pan of mussels. To eat, remove a mussel from its shell, dip into the butter, then rub up some of the dried juices from the bottom of the skillet.
CRABBY CRAB CAKES
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 1 HOUR, LARGELY UNATTENDED
CRAB HAS THE best texture and among the best flavor of all of the crustaceans, and the best crab cakes are those that showcase the crab most fully. So getting the most out of crab cakes often means putting the least into them. When you start loading crab cakes up with white bread, corn, curry, and complicated sauces, you might be making them different, but you’re not making them better. I usually serve my crab cakes with nothing more than lemon wedges, but tartar sauce and aïoli are both excellent choices if you choose to make a condiment.
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
1 egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour, plus flour for dredging
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed
Lemon wedges
1. Gently combine the crab, egg, mustard if you’re using it, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 tablespoons flour. Cover and put in the freezer for 5 minutes. Shape the mixture into 4 patties. Line a plate with plastic wrap and put the crab cakes on it. Cover with more plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (or up to a day if you like) or freeze for 15 minutes.
2. Put the flour for dredging in a bowl. Put the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, gently dredge one of the crab cakes in the flour. Gently tap off the excess flour and add the crab cake to the pan; repeat with the remaining crab cakes, then turn the heat to medium-high.
3. Cook, rotating the cakes in the pan as necessary to brown the first side, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, which will take slightly less time. Serve hot with lemon wedges.
COLD POACHED SHRIMP
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES
YOU CAN BUY peeled shrimp, but shrimp poached in their shells have more flavor (as do shrimp poached in salt; the water should taste salty). If you’re going to peel the shrimp yourself, as I recommend, it pays to buy larger shrimp and cut down on the work. Go for those in the range of 30 to 40 per pound (sometimes labeled U-40 as in “under 40”), or even larger if the cost is not prohibitive.
To subtly improve the flavor of the shrimp, add other seasonings to the poaching liquid—the easiest thing is to grab a handful of pickling mix, which usually contains peppercorns, allspice, bay leaf, and coriander and dill seeds. Throw in a couple of cloves of garlic or a piece of onion if you like.
1½ pounds shrimp
Salt
Better Cocktail Sauce, Marjoram “Pesto”, or other sauce for serving
Put the shrimp in a saucepan with water to cover and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat; let the shrimp cool in the water for about 5 minutes, then rinse in cold water until cool. Peel and devein if you like. Serve with sauce or