James Dickinson photo
When he cooks, Chris Farnwalt says, he likes “to start with a simple concept … and then get a little bizarre†â€" as he did in creating this recipe for mussels with miso and sherry, a new addition to the spring menu at Havana ’59. “The taste is somewhat familiar, with a nice pop of sherry and lemon at the end,†he says. Since 2004, Farnwalt has headed up the kitchen at the Cuban-inspired eatery in Shockoe Bottom. Havana ’59 maintains a regular menu with staples such as paella, he says, while “leaving a lot of room for seasonal specials. It’s been my goal to build a solidified menu â€" what people think of when they think of Havana â€" and to have specials, too, to keep things creative.†This season, look for a variety of fish (he’s experimenting with different steaming techniques) and wood-grilled filet mignon featuring sautéed spring vegetables. Farnwalt (who’s currently reading The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection) says his favorite cuisine right now is Americana, which he describes as representative of all cultures, with a spin â€" for example, flavoring this recipe with sherry instead of the more-expected Asian sake. For more information, call the restaurant at 780-2822.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of peanut oil
1 teaspoon of fresh garlic
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
1/4 cup of sherry
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
14 to 16 black Prince Edward Island mussels
1 tablespoon of small brunoised carrot
1 1/2 cups of spring water
1/8 cup of medium firm tofu, brunoised
1/2 tablespoon of white miso paste
1/2 ounce of whole unsalted butter
1/8 cup of wasabi peas
Directions
This sauté item should be cooked relatively fast, so have all your ingredients close at hand. In a sauté pan, bring the peanut oil to a light smoke. Add puréed garlic and fresh-grated ginger, sweat both, and deglaze with sherry. Add soy sauce and lemon juice. At this point, begin cooking the mussels, placing them in the pan with the brunoised carrot and pouring in the spring water. Gently add firm tofu. Continue cooking on high heat until the mussels pop open. Remove the mussels from the pan and place them in a bowl. Add miso paste to remaining liquid and stir to distribute miso throughout the broth. Stir butter into broth to create a sauce, and pour all into serving bowl. Garnish with wasabi peas. Â
