#226 - Central Market Cooks

Kathy Gottsacker, Cooking School Director at Central Market in San Antonio, Texas, shows Carol how to cook a seafood delight and a sweet treat dessert you won't want to miss. Mussels Pomodoro with Saffron Infused Rice and simply the most terrific Strawberry Shortcake are easy to prepare when you know how.

Mussels Pomodoro

Serves 4

Garlic Butter:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened

4 large cloves garlic, minced

The Sauce:

1 large shallot, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 28-oz. can Muir Glenn diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 medium Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup white wine

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 pound bacon, cooked

2 pounds mussels, cleaned

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Garlic Butter: Combine the butter and minced garlic cloves, let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before proceeding with recipe. The Sauce: In a 4 quart stock pot melt 4 tablespoons of the garlic butter over a medium heat. Add the shallot and onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until soft, but not brown. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, Roma tomatoes, wine, oregano, Sriracha sauce, red pepper flakes, anchovy paste, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes, add bacon and cook 10 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and mussels, cover pot and cook for 5-6 minutes. Mussels should all be opened, discard any that have not open. Spoon into bowls and serve. The tomato sauce makes a great poaching liquid after the mussels have been cooked and removed. Add two 6 to 8-ounce salmon fillets (with the skin removed) to the sauce and cook until the fish is flaky. Serve over Saffron Infused Rice (see below) and top with capers.

Saffron Infused Rice

Serves 6

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

2 tablespoons garlic butter

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cups Texmati rice or any long grain rice

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

With a mortar and pestle grind the saffron with 2 tablespoons hot stock. Set aside. Melt garlic butter in a medium saucepan and add the onions. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add rice and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and the saffron mixture, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and serve.

Strawberry Shortcake

Serves 6

The Biscuits:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup blanched almonds, ground (about 4 oz.)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon orange peel, grated

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut in pieces

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 teaspoons sugar

The Filling:

1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1 pint heavy cream, whipped

1 teaspoon vanilla

Biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Blend first 7 ingredients in processor. Add butter and cut in using pulse button until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix 1 cup buttermilk with almond extract. Pour all at once through feed tube; blend until dough is light and slightly sticky, adding more buttermilk by tablespoons if dry. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment. Drop dough into 6 tall equal mounds on prepared sheet, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon sugar over each mound. Bake until tops are deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool biscuits on cookie sheet on rack. Filling: Combine strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar and Grand Marnier, let macerate for 1 hour. Combine heavy cream and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Carefully split biscuits in half using a fork or serrated knife. Place bottom halves on plates. Spoon strawberries over and top with whipped cream. Top each with upper half of biscuit. Spoon a few strawberries over biscuit and top again with whipped cream.

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