2784. MUSSELS with BACON and RAPINI

yields four portions


8 oz. thick-cut bacon, diced
4 thick slices crusty bread 
1 teaspoon pepper 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon steak spice 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 head rapini 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-size Spanish onion, halved and sliced 
2 cups whole red cherry tomatoes 
3/4 cup white wine
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded 
3/4 cup water 
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill 
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 
2 tablespoons butter
lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the cubed up bread to the skillet to soak up all the excess bacon fat, add pepper and let it go on medium to low heat until bread crisps up. Remove from pan and set aside.

For the croutons: Chop up the bread into thick cubes. Toss with the seasonings and oil. Bake until golden and crispy.

For the mussels: Bring a large pot of water to boil for 30 seconds. Add the whole rapini and blanch for 45 seconds. Remove and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain and roughly chop. Set aside.

In another pan, add and the olive oil and onions and cook for 2 minutes, then add the cherry tomatoes and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the wine, cover, and cook for 2 minutes then add mussels and water and cook until they begin to open, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rapini to the pan of muscles and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, discard unopened mussels, add bacon, dill, chives, butter, lemon juice, to taste, salt, and pepper and serve with croutons on top.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chuck Hughes, "The Locksmiths," Chuck's Day Off, Cooking Channel TV