Live Mussels
Oysters and Clams

Nicholas Rabar
Executive Chef of Big Fish in Providence, RI

Yield: 10 oysters

• Bacon, apple wood smoked - 6 strips, medium dice
• Leek white - 1 each, medium dice
• Garlic clove - 1 each, minced
• Heavy cream - 1 ½ cup
• Parmesan Grana - 4 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper - ½ teaspoon

In a sauté pan under medium high heat, render bacon until crispy. Drain half the fat and add the leeks and garlic. Sauté until soft and then add the cream. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Add Parmesan and season. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring in the cheese. Cool.

Open oysters and add 1 teaspoon of the mixture to each. Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 4-6 minutes.

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Jeffrey W. Kwolek
Ex. Sous Chef, Hyatt Regency, Baltimore

• 1 1/2 lbs Whitewater mussels
• 2oz. melted butter
• 1/2 medium red onion finely sliced
• 3 tblsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1-6" length of leek, julienne
• 4 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade cut
• 1 clove fresh garlic, paper thin
• 8 oz. of fresh clam stock pinch crushed red pepper
• 3 oz. of Absolut Citron
• pinch sea salt
• pinch white pepper
• 1/4 cup of shopped chives
• 2 oz. Southern Comfort
• 2 oz. soft butter
• 1 bulb fresh ginger thread, for garnish
• 1 stock fresh lemon grass, for garnish

In a heavy saucepan, caramelize the red onion in the melted butter. Add the leeks, ginger, garlic and mussels. Stir and cook a for a few minutes over high heat. Deglaze the pan with the Absolut Citron and add crushed red pepper, basil, clam stock and Southern Comfort. Remove mussels, place in large serving bowl and reduce sauce. Finish sauce with chives and soft butter then pour over mussels and garnish with fried ginger threads and lemon grass. Recipe makes 2 appetizer servings or 1 entree.

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Fred Przyborowski Chef , Ardeo, Washington,D.C.

Yield: 10 Portions

• 6 lbs. fresh Whitewater Mussels
• 2 qt. chicken stock, reduced by half
• 6 oz. roasted garlic
• 3 bunches of green onion, sliced thin
• 1 lbs. D'artaganan wild boar sausage, cooked and sliced thin
• 1 qt. Pilsner Urquel or other pilsner beer salt and pepper to taste

Heat large pot on high for 3-4 minutes. In separate pt, add roasted garlic to stock and simmer Add mussels to pot with beer and cover When mussels are partially open, add roasted garlic broth and sausage Bring to a simmer, when mussels are all open, garnish with green onion.

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Steven Martin
Sous Chef, Rococo, Philadelphia, PA

Yield, 4 Servings

• olive oil
• 8 oz. pancetta, large julienne
• 1 bh. broccoli rabe, rough chop
• 1/2 hd. radicchio, julienne
• 4 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 60 Whitewater Mussels
• 4oz. chicken stock
• 4 tblsp. butter
• 12 large leaves, basil, chiffonade salt and pepper

Method Sauté the pancetta in olive oil. Add broccoli rabe, radicchio, garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for three minutes. Add the mussels, deglaze the pan with white wine, then add the chicken stock. Cover the mussels and steam until opened. Season and mount the dish with butter. Finish with basil and serve.

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Evan Roth
Steak Fries, New York City

• 2 lbs. fresh Whitewater Mussels
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 12 peeled garlic cloves
• 10 oil cured black olives
• 1/2 cup basil puree
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• 2 cups chardonnay
• 1 cup fish/shellfish stock
• 6 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tblsp. sweet butter dash rose water salt and pepper

Progression: Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, place in a small bowl with 2 tblsp. of olive oil. Quarter tomatoes lengthwise, add to garlic with salt and pepper. Toss to cover. Place on a rack in oven, skin side down, at 200 degrees for 10 minutes. In a small sauce pan, add remaining oil, 1 tblsp. sweet butter and garlic cloves. Cook over low fire until garlic has browned slightly and is soft. Do not remove from oil. Place in bowl and reserve. Pit the black olives. In a sauté pan, add garlic oil, heat until hot (not smoking). Add mussels, chardonnay, shellfish stock, roasted garlic cloves, chopped shallots, roasted tomatoes and black olives. Cover and increase heat. When mussels begin opening, stir in basil puree and remaining butter. Sprinkle with rose water, toss to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with warm baguette and cold rose wine.

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Steve Webster
Maryland Wholesale Seafood Market

• 8-12 scallops
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon butter and olive oil
• 2 tblsp. white wine
• 3 tblsp. parsley, chives and basil in combination
• 1 tblsp. shallots, diced
• 2 tblsp. butter

Turn on oven to 200 and turn off when ready to add scallops to pan. Dry the scallops with a clean towel and season with salt and pepper. Over low to medium heat, melt the butter and oil in non-stick sauté pan. Arrange scallops on pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add white wine and shallots and cover for 3-5 minutes until the scallops are opaque around the edges. Remove shallots and place in warm oven. Add herbs to liquid and whisk in butter then simmer for one minute. Season with salt and pepper while arranging scallops on plate. Spoon over the sauce and serve immediately!

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Steve Webster
Maryland Wholesale Seafood Market

• 2 tblsp softened butter
• 3 tblsp minced garlic
• 1 tblsp shallots, chopped
• 2.5 tblsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 medium fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 lemon
• 1.5 lbs fresh Restaurant Ready Whitewater Mussels
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

In a large bowl, stir together the butter, 1 tblsp of garlic, shallots. 1/2 tbsp parsley, lemon juice, plus salt and pepper to taste. Cut the lemon into 4 wedges. In 4 quart pot, melt the herb butter over moderate heat. Stir in lemon wedges with the remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add mussels and cook for 1 minute. Add white wine, cream and simmer covered until mussels open. (about 5 minutes) Discard any unopened mussels. Stir in tomatoes and parsley. Divide between 2 warm soup bowls and garnish with tomato and parsley. Serve at once with warm, crusty bread!

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William Smith
Chef, Bookbinders, Philadelphia, PA.

Recipe for 2.5 lbs of mussels

• 3 large fresh whole tomatoes
• 10 medium mushrooms, cut into quartered wedges
• 6 oz. frozen spinach, stems removed and chopped
• 2 tblsp. minced shallots
• 2 tblsp. garlic
• 12 tblsp. butter, room temperature ½ cup sherry wine
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 2 cups fish stock or clam broth
• 3 tblsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tblsp. dry mustard
• 4 bay leaves

reduce heavy cream with bay leaves and dry mustard by 1/3 ahead of time, keep warm In a 10 quart sauce pan add five tblsp. of butter. When half melted, add mussels and cover. Sauté over medium fire until mussels start to open. Add garlic, cook two minutes, add shallots, cook for two minutes. Add mushrooms and stir before adding sherry. Let cook for a few minutes. Add fish stock, reduce by two thirds. Turn fire on high, add heavy cream, tomatoes, spinach and remaining ingredients. Reduce by one third. Remove from heat and take mussels out and display on half shells on dish. Gently add butter, salt and pepper to taste. Ladle sauce over mussels and sprinkle with parsley. Bon Appetit!

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Lance E. Holton
Sous Chef , Striped Bass, Philadelphia, PA.

(makes four portions)

• 60 mussels
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 cups white wine, a good quality chardonnay is preferred
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 tblsp. olive oil
• 3 egg yolks

reduced mussels liquid

• 1/2 tblsp. lemon juice
• 2 drops, Tabasco
• 9 oz. clarified butter
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finery grated
• 4 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 4 oyster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 4 crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 4 cups spinach, cleaned
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tblsp. olive oil
• shaved parmesan

De-beard and clean mussels In a large pot with lid, heat oil and sauté garlic, add wine, thyme and mussels. Cover and cook until mussels open (about three minutes). Save liquid. Allow to cool. remove mussels from shells. Discard shells. Reduce cooking liquid by half. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs over a simmering water bath until they ribbon (about five minutes). Add lemon juice, mussel cooking liquid and Tabasco. While continuing to whip, slowly add clarified butter. Fold in parmesan cheese. Keep warm.

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Patrice Rames
Chef&Owner, Bistro St. Tropez, Philadelphia, Pa.

• 18 Whitewater Mussels
• white wine
• diced shallots
• unsalted butter'
• chopped parsley
• thyme flowers

Place mussels in a sauté pan with lid. Add enough wine to cover the mussels. Add 1 tablespoon diced shallots, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Add parsley and thyme flowers as mussels start to open. Serve with broth in covered bowl.

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Chris Kajawa
Ritz Carlton Hotel, Philadelphia, PA

MIS EN PLACE

• 4 grilled roma tomatoes
• 1 grilled, steamed, peeled, seeded and chopped poblano peppers
• 2 cloves, roasted garlic
• 1/8 cup chicken stock
• 1 tblsp. minced shallots
• 1 tspn. minced garlic
• 15 White Water Mussels
• 1/2 cup beer and orange juice mixture
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat grill to medium high. Grill tomatoes until blackened and soft. Grill poblano pepper until the skin blisters. Wrap in plastic to steam the skin for 10 minutes. Peel the pepper, seed and chop coarsely. Roast the garlic for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Blend all three ingredients in a blender on high until smooth. Add the chicken stock to thin the sauce out if needed. Combine equal amounts of beer (preferably Mexican) and orange juice to equal 1/2 cup. Heat a 10" sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic in 1 tblsp. of olive oil until translucent. Add the mussels and toss the mix. Deglaze the pan with the beer mix and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer until mussels open, about two minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot by themselves or over pasta.

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Courtesy of Chef Scott Martin at Max's Oyster Bar in Hartford , CT

• 20 ea. Golden Neck® clams
• ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
• ½ c. diced pancetta
• ¼ t. crushed red pepper
• 2 c. organic baby spinach
• 10 grape tomatoes, halved
• 8 basil leaves, chiffonade
• ¼ c. white wine
• Salt & Pepper to taste

In medium sauté pan, render pancetta in olive oil until crispy. Add crushed red pepper flakes, Golden Neck® clams, and wine.

Cover to steam Golden Neck® clams open. Add tomatoes, basil, and baby spinach then adjust seasoning to taste. Fold ingredients together. When spinach is wilted, serve.

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Chefs Dave Arnold and Nils Noren of The French Culinary Institute – New York, NY

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

OYSTERS:

• 5 liters freshly squeezed carrot juice, skimmed and strained
• 130 grams aquarium salt
• 3 grams finely ground cardamom
• 24 Long Island or Northern Oysters

LIME CRÈME FRAICHE:

• 250 grams crème fraiche
• ½ gram Xanthan Gum
• 20 grams strained lime juice
• Zest of 1 lime
• Salt and Pepper

TO ASSEMBLE AND SERVE:

• Chopped Chives

Method:

FOR THE OYSTERS:

Use a high shear blender to combine carrot juice, aquarium salt, and cardamom to a particle size of less than 10 microns. Wash oysters (but do not shuck!) and lay them right-side up in a container big enough to hold oysters and liquid. Pour carrot-cardamom mixture over oysters and let sit at a temperature between 50˚ F and 70˚ F, out of light, for 2 hours. Do not move or disturb oysters during this time or they will not eat the surrounding liquid.

FOR LIME CRÈME FRAICHE:

Whisk together crème fraiche, xantham, gum, lime juice, and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Assemble and Serve:

Remove oysters from carrot bath and rinse. Shuck oysters and use only those that have ingested carrot liquid for service. Top with mini-quenelle of lime crème fraiche and garnish with chopped chives.

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Ingredients:

• 2 Oysters, shucked
• Cocktail Sauce
• Vodka

Directions:

Align two shooter glasses. Place one ounce cocktail sauce in the glasses. Then add an oyster and one ounce vodka to each glass. Then fill to top with another portion of cocktail sauce. Serve.

*Courtesy of Matt Griffin (Chef D’ Cuisine) Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood Las Vegas, NV

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
• 12 oysters, shucked
• 1/2 red pepper, finely diced, for garnish

Directions:

Put the lime juice, water, sugar, salt, and diced jalapenos into an 8 by 8-inch metal cake pan and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Put the pan in the freezer and stir with a fork every half hour to break up the ice crystals. After 3 to 4 hours, depending on your freezer, the pan will be full of jalapeno ice flakes. Put your shot glasses in the freezer while this is going on.

To serve, fill a shot glass almost to the top with the jalapeno ice, top with an oyster, and garnish with some diced red pepper.

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Ingredients:

• 4 cucumbers (peeled)
• Salt
• 1 Oyster, shucked
• Vodka

Directions:

Chop cucumbers, season with salt, and pulse in a blender. Place in cheesecloth and hang in walk-in. Test for seasoning, adding more if necessary. Place one oyster in a shooter glass. Pour in one ounce vodka. Fill the glass to the top with cucumber water. Serve.

*Courtesy of Matt Griffin (Chef D’ Cuisine) Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood Las Vegas, NV

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Ingredients:

• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Olive Juice
• Oyster
• Spanish olive cut in half for garnish

Place an oyster with its liquor in a martini glass. Pour in vodka and olive juice. Garnish with a Spanish olive skewered on a cocktail pick.

*Courtesy of Matt Griffin (Chef D’ Cuisine) Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood Las Vegas, NV

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Ingredients:

• 2 Oysters, shucked
• Gazpacho (see recipe)
• Vodka

Gazpacho:

• 2 Cucumbers
• 2 Tomatoes
• Puree above ingredients in a blender and strain.
• ¼ C shallots, minced
• ¼ C garlic, minced
• 2 cans tomato juice
• 250 ML sherry vin
• ¼ C chive, minced
• ½ Bunch Basil Chiffonade
• 2 red pepper, small dice
• 2 yellow pepper, small dice
• 2 cucumbers, small dice
• 1/3 C olive oil
• Combine all above ingredients in a bowl being sure to keep all products as cold as possible. Finish with salt and pepper, check for good balance of freshness and acidity.

Directions:

Align two shooter glasses. Place one oyster in each glass. Pour one ounce vodka in both of the glasses. Fill the glasses to the top with gazpacho. Serve.

*Courtesy of Matt Griffin (Chef D’ Cuisine) Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood Las Vegas, NV

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Ingredients:

• 1 Oyster, shucked
• 1 oz Good Sake, chilled
• 1 oz Beet Juice
• ½ t fresh Ginger Juice
• Cucumber, diced very small
• Vodka

Add an oyster with its liquor to a shooter glass. Add the sake, beet juice, and ginger juice. Garnish with the cucumber. Serve cold.

*Courtesy of Matt Griffin (Chef D’ Cuisine) Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood Las Vegas, NV

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Ingredients:

• 1.25 oz. Square One Cucumber Vodka
• West Coast Oyster - We prefer a Kumamoto or Kusshi
• Green Chili Cucumber Sauce

Directions:

Combine above ingredients in a shooter glass. Awesome!

*Courtesy of Matt Griffin (Chef D’ Cuisine) Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood Las Vegas, NV

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Ingredients:

• Ketel One Vodka (equal part)
• Tomato Gelee (equal part )…it’s just tomato water jello
• Cucumber Puree (equal part)
• Quonset Point Oyster (1 oyster)
• Osetra Caviar (garnish)
• Crème Fraiche Foam (garnish)

Directions:

Layer the Tomato Gelee, Cucumber Puree, Ketel One Vodka, Quonset Point Oyster, and top with Osetra Caviar & Citrus Crème Fraiche Foam

*Courtesy of Clint Boyd SeafoodS.com Charlotte, NC

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