Steamed Mussels with Chicory: Cozze con Cicoria

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup darkly coarse bread crumbs toasted
• 0.5 pound chicory cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
• 1 cup cooking wine dry white
• 2 cups olive oil extra virgin 
• 6 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 10  jalapeño peppers coarsely chopped
• 1  optional: lemon for garnish cut into quarters, plus lemon wedges,
• 2 pounds mussels scrubbed
• 1 tablespoon chile flakes red
• 4 tablespoons chile flakes red
• 2 medium onions red thinly sliced

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan

Directions

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil until smoking.
2. Add the onions and cook until softened but not browned.
3. Add the mussels and toss well.
4. Add the chile flakes, wine and lemon quarters, cover and cook 1 minute.
5. Remove the lid and add the chicory. Replace the lid and cook 1 minute more, until the mussels have steamed open.
6. Pour into a warm bowl, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over and serve with the lemon wedges on the side, drizzled with the chile oil.
7. In a small saucepan, combine the oil, pepper and chili flakes.
8. Heat to 140 degrees F and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and allow to sit overnight or for 8 hours. Strain out solids.