Football for Foodies

Recipes from Chef Rocco DiSpirito

Recipes courtesy of Chef Rocco DiSpirito, Union Pacifica, New York, NY

Serves 12 as buffet item

Ingredients: 1 cup prepared mayonnaise zest of 1 lemon juice of 1 lemon 2 tsp. wasabi powder 3 scallions, green part only, very thinly sliced 24 stone crab claws, cracked and chilled

Directions: In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix the wasabi powder with enough water to make a paste and gradually add it to the mayonnaise, tasting as you go, until it is to your taste. (More wasabi powder can be used if you like.) Stir in the scallion greens.

Serve the wasabi mayonnaise with crab claws for dipping.

Yield: one serving

Ingredients: 1 overripe tomato, cut in quarters pinch of coarse sea salt 1/4 teaspoon mirin (rice wine), at room temperature Pinch cayenne pepper, to taste Freshly ground pepper, to taste 5 small bay scallops, muscle removed (ask for shells for serving) 5 lobes of uni (sea urchin), cleaned by fishmonger 1/2 ounce of seaweed; ogonori; rinsed free of salt 1 teaspoon mustard oil, at room temperature Pinch black mustard seed, freshly ground Crushed ice (for presentation)

Directions: To make tomato water, pulse overripe tomato with coarse sea salt in a food processor. Suspend in cheesecloth and set in strainer overnight, allowing liquid to drop into a large bowl. Pass liquid through a coffee filter to remove all solids. Mix liquid with mirin, cayenne, coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Arrange one scallop and one lobe of uni in each well-rinsed scallop shell. Pour tomato water over scallops and uni and drizzle several droplets of mustard oil over top. Garnish with crushed black mustard seed.

Make a bed of crushed ice on the small serving plate and top with seaweed. Arrange five scallop shells in a circle on the seaweed bed and serve immediately.

Serves 12 as buffet item

Ingredients: 6 pounds cultivated mussels, scrubbed and debearded (about 12 dozen) 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 shallots, minced 6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 cup white wine 6 tablespoons butter, split 1 teaspoon saffron threads 2 baguette, torn into pieces

Directions: Discard any mussels that do not close when you handle them and any with broken shells. Set the mussels aside.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine garlic, shallots, 4 tablespoons parsley, thyme, wine, and 3 tablespoons butter. Bring to boil. Lower heat, and cook for 2 minutes. Add mussels, and cover. Cook them, shaking the pan every minute or so, just until shells open, about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mussels to a large serving dish.

Strain the cooking liquid into a clean pot. Add the saffron, remaining butter, and remaining parsley. Heat until butter melts. Pour over mussels. Serve hot, with baguette to mop up all the juices.