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Sake Barrels at Meiji Jingu Shrine, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)
Aromatic Sake Steamed Mussels
These Asian-inspired aromatic sake steamed mussels from British chef Victoria Glass, make for an elegant yet simple dish. The ingredients include:
- garlic cloves
- fresh ginger
- sake
- Tamari
- spring onions
- 1 red chili
- flat-leaf parsley
- oil, for frying
I should make some notes about the ingredients. Tamari is a type of soy sauce from Japan. Use whatever soy sauce you have in the house. I won’t judge you. I also will not judge you if you don’t use the brand of sake the recipe uses. There’s no knowing if you’d even be able to find it in your area. As for spring onions, they are also called green onions and scallions, but they’re all the same thing. Chives are a good substitution if you can’t find spring onions.
As far as the measurements for this recipe, they’re in metric units, which is what the British and everyone but America uses. Ironically, we Americans use what are called British units, which the Brits themselves dropped for the metric system decades ago. Anyway, 1 kilogram of mussels equals 2.2 pounds. Accordingly, 250 ml of sake is 1 liquid cup.
Yes, American measurements have liquid and solid “cup” measurements, so if you try to measure, say, flour in a liquid measuring cup, you will not end up with a cup of flour. Why? Unlike the rest of the world, and professional bakers in the U.S., who tend to use weight to measure ingredients for baking, America uses volume. Isn’t that a metaphor? Blame Fanny Farmer, who is obviously American, because the British would not name a girl Fanny.
This slide is dedicated to my U.K. pal, Danielle Blake. We had this conversation when she visited for the U.S. election. She deserves at least this much in apology.