Did you ever have a craving for a certain food combo or ingredient? That's pretty much how this recipe came about. Kyle wanted something with mussels and corn, and the recipe he found was for clams with chorizo and corn. Close enough. Then the Great Ingredient Swap started, and when all was said and done, there were mussels instead of clams, bacon instead of chorizo...you get the picture.
This version--which is better, in my opinion--has a much more easily obtained ingredients list, which makes it a win on more than one front. Plus, your house will smell amazing while it cooks away. It's also a one pot dish, so after you've had a fantastic meal, you don't have to dread a massive cleanup, or draft the kids into indentured servitude to get the job done.
There's no roux here, so no flour, and although this recipe wasn't prepared gluten free, it can be made so with the substitution of a gluten free beer and a piece of good gluten free bread (and yes, there is such a thing). Green's makes some fantastic gluten free beers if you can find them at your local beer store. If not, any one will do. Just don't skip it altogether, though, because it really does make the dish.
Adapted (almost past the point of recognition) from Bobby Flay.
Steamed Mussels with Corn, Bacon and Beer
Ingredients
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced into lardons
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup beer (I used a summer ale)
- 3 ears of corn, husked, corn removed from cobs
- 2 lb. mussels
- Dash red pepper flake
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- A handful of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
- Loaf of crusty bread, sliced ½-inch thick
Instructions
- Heat a stockpot over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until browned and crisp. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the corn and cook one minute longer.
- Add the beer and ½ cup water and reduce by half. Add the mussels, season with salt and pepper, and red pepper flake, and continue cooking until the mussels just open.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley. Serve in bowls with slices of bread.
