Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Food, Recipes

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Key Ingredients by "Top Chef" Eli Kirshtein

Make Eli's Mussels with Ras El Hanout and Sherry Caramel, and head to Harvest Midtown Sunday, Oct. 4 to see Eli and many of Atlanta’s other great chefs.  

Head to Harvest Midtown Sunday, Oct. 4 to see Eli and many of Atlanta’s other great chefs. The event features wines from around the world, fare from in-town restaurants, live music, wine seminars, dance performances and a silent auction benefitting Camp Twin Lakes. Tickets and information can be found at www.harvestmidtown.com. Look for Eli; he might just bring a dish made with ras el hanout! Use codeword CHEF to get $10 off your ticket.

MUSSELS WITH RAS EL HANOUT AND SHERRY CARAMEL

By Eli Kirshtein

I made this recipe for one of the Quickfire Challenges on Bravo’s "Top Chef," and I like this dish because it has really good flavor ranging from acidity to sweetness. A lot of chefs veer away from sweetness, because they don’t know how to control it and keep recipes from becoming dessert-like, but with all of the savory flavors and ingredients used in this dish, there is no hint of dessert!

In addition to these mussels being a dish I really liked from the show, they are also indicative of something we might serve at Eno by Zaza, because mussels are a traditional Mediterranean dish. I enjoyed mussels growing up too because my family spent time in New England and along the Atlantic seaboard.

As with all seafood, when buying mussels there should be no smell other than that of the ocean. If you encounter a fishy smell, look elsewhere. Like any major crustaceans, mussels should be purchased and cooked live. When you buy them, make sure they are still closed. If one looks open, it might just be breathing. Squeeze the shell, and it should come back together. If it does not, it is dead, and you don’t want it.

When cooking mussels, wait a few minutes after they open before you eat them or take out the meat. They need a chance to get firm or else they can end up being slimy.

I used a ras el hanout spice blend to create a great flavor with these mussels. Ras el hanout is an Arabic spice blend that means “top of the shelf.” Traditionally, each blend was created by an individual seller at a bazaar. The sellers literally grabbed the spices they kept on the top shelf and mixed them together to create unique flavors. My favorite ras el hanout comes from Terra Spice and can be ordered through them. Use Terra Spice’s ras el hanout, and this dish is sure to become one of your new favorites. SP

Eli Kirshtein is the executive chef at Eno by Zaza. 800 Peachtree St. NE. www.enorestaurant.com.

 

MUSSELS WITH RAS EL HANOUT AND SHERRY CARAMEL

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 24 mussels
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• ¼ cup ras el hanout
• ½ stick butter
• Breadcrumbs
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

 

Instructions: 

Caramelize sugar in a pan. When golden, deglaze with sherry vinegar. Add ras el hanout, and let steep for 15 minutes. Whisk in butter and strain. Season and reserve.

Cook mussels slowly in a pot with water until shells open. Remove meat and discard shells. Reserve meat in liquid until ready to serve. Streak caramel across each plate.

Overlap mussels in a line on top of the caramel. Garnish with breadcrumbs and cilantro. Drizzle with olive oil.