Saturday night we had a pre father’s day dinner with great friends. There was a very special item on the menu that we could not pass up, Frank Sinatra’s Mussels “Posillipo”. The story goes that every time ol’ Blue Eyes was in New York he visited Patsy’s restaurant and always had a few orders of these. We loved the recipe and really want to try it at home!! Enjoy!!
- 32 littleneck clams or Mussels
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, halved**
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes with juice
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste***
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste****
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- Scrub the clams/.mussels with a stiff brush, rinse throughly in cold water and place in a large pot. Add cold water to just cover (or slightly less) and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the clams/mussels open, about 5 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon remove the clams/mussels to a large bowl as they open and discard any that do not open.
- Strain the cooking liquid though a chinois/strainer lined with a coffee filter. Reserve ¾ cup of the strained cooking liquid (now wonderful clam broth).
- [I purge my clams to remove sand/grit and consequently did not perform the upcoming rinsing maneuver. If you do not purge then definitely do the following step.] Return the clams/mussels to the pot, add cold water and stir to remove any remaining sand. Drain and reserve clams.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium flame and sauté the garlic halves until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove garlic with tongs and discard. Add the onions to the garlic oil and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, until soft but do not brown. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them and their juice to the saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste if using (not optional in my opinion) and add the basil and 1 tablespoon of parsley. Simmer UNCOVERED 5 minutes.
- Add the reserved clam broth and clams to the sauce and bring to boil. Cover the saucepan, reduce heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until the clams are heated through. Spoon the clams and sauce into serving bowls, garnish with remaining parsley and serve immediately with hot crusty bread.
Here is a preview of some new construction properties that we will be touring during the next few weeks. Our Westchester real estate agent, Liz Ross is going to send us photos of one of each of these fantastic state of the art homes. I cannot wait to see all the new amenities and floor plans that each beautiful home has to offer!! For more information on any of these outstanding houses, contact Liz DIRECTLY!
I am so inspired by the incredible work of artist Rosie Quick. I have known Rosie and her family for many years and am just so impressed with the talent and wonderful creative things Rosie is doing. Below is her bio and examples of her fabulous work. Rosie is having an opening at Deborah Berke Partners at 220 Fifth Ave on Thursday, June 18th from 6-8 for her first Solo Show!!!, “Turn On And Tune In”. It is running until August 28th so if you are in the NY area, stop by! For more info or to inquire, please contact Rosie at http://www.rosiequickart.com.
