CHRISTMAS EVE

Every Christmas Eve, my mother made The Feast of the Seven Fishes for dinner - another one our long standing traditions.  Throughout the years, many different dishes were made, but you could always count on enough fish to feed an army.  We always had fried shrimp, dried codfish which was turned into fritters, and the plain codfish which was put into a sauce with pasta, plus anything else my mother decided we needed on the table.

Over the course of the years, the dishes changed according to what my mother knew everyone liked and did not like.  One of my favorites was the mussels in spicy tomato sauce, and today I am sharing that recipe with you.

MUSSELS IN SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

¼  CUP CORNMEAL

2 POUND LARGE MUSSELS

¼ CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

8 CLOVES GARLIC

ONE 1-PINT BASKET RIPE CHERRY TOMATOES OR

2 CUPS CANNED ITALIAN PLUM TOMATOES, CRUSHED

½ TEASPOON DRIED OREGANO

½ TEASPOON CRUSHED HOT RED PEPPER

1 CUP DRY WHITE WINE

10 LARGE FRESH BASIL LEAVES SHREDDED

SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

DIRECTIONS

To purge the mussels of their grit, stir in the cornmeal into 3 quarts of water, add the mussels, and let them soak, shaking them up once or twice for 1 hour.  Drain completely, scrub the shells well, and if necessary, remove the wiry beard protruding from the shell by tugging firmly with your fingers.

Add ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the garlic and cook, shaking the pan, until golden - about 3 minutes.  Slide the tomatoes into the skillet and stir in the oregano and red pepper.  Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down - about 5 minutes.  Pour in the wine; I generally cook the sauce for about ten to fifteen minutes to let it develop before I add the mussels.

Stir the mussels into the skillet.  Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and cook just until the mussels are opened - about 3 minutes for cultivated mussels or slightly longer for thicker shelled, uncultivated mussels.  Stir in the basil and, if you like, a generous drizzle of olive oil.  Check the seasoning and add a little salt if necessary. 

Make sure you have a lot of crusty bread on hand to soak up the sauce!