Goan-Style Steamed Mussels with Calamari
This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units). It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews. Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. mustard seeds
2-1/2 cups thinly sliced onion (about 2 medium)
1Tbsp. crumbled dried curry leaves (about 2 leaves)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp.salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cups cleaned skinless squid (about 1 pound), thinly sliced
32 mussels (about 1-1/4 pounds), scrubbed and debearded
3Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the mustard seeds. Cook for 2 minutes or until the seeds start to pop. Add the onion and curry leaves, then cook for 8 minutes or until the onion lightly browns, stirring occasionally. Stir in the juice, ginger, 1/4 tsp. of salt, 1/4 tsp. of pepper, garlic and chile.
Sprinkle the squid with the remaining 1/4 tsp. of salt and the remaining 1/4 tsp. of pepper, then add the squid and mussels to the pan. Cover and cook for 3 minutes or until the mussels open and squid begins to curl up around the edges. Discard any unopened shells and remove from the heat. Sprinkle the seafood evenly with the cilantro.
Yields 4 servings.
Recipe by Chef Floyd Cardoz in Cooking Light Magazine, October. 2005.