Basque Steamed Mussels

Method/Steps

1. Place red and green peppers in a large pan. Broil about 4 inches from heat until pepper skins are charred and blistered all over, turning as needed, 15 minutes. Cool. Pull off and discard skins, stems and seeds. Chop red and green peppers separately.

2. In a food processor, purée 3/4 of the red peppers until smooth.

3. In a large pan set over high heat, combine 1 tsp olive oil and the garlic. Stir often until garlic is limp, about 1 minute. Add onion, clam juice, wine, 1 tsp habanero vinegar and red pepper purée. Cover and bring to a boil.

4. Discard any mussels that do not close when shells are tapped. Add mussels to the pan, cover and cook until shells pop open, about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked mussels to wide bowls.

5. Add chopped green and red peppers to broth; bring to a boil. Add parsley and season mixture to taste with salt and more habanero vinegar. Ladle over mussles. Drizle each serving with olive oil to taste.

Habanero Vinegar

In a blender, process champagne vinegar and habanero chili until puréed.