Café Cecilia's mussels toast
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In Max Rocha’s London restaurant, Café Cecilia, he blends the concept of fish stew with the ubiquity of smothered toast, resulting in one of his most popular dishes: crusty sourdough that’s slicked with garlicky aioli, cider-braised mussels and sweet roasted tomatoes. In his debut cookbook, “Café Cecilia,” Rocha shares his recipe for mussels and datterini tomatoes on toast, which can be found on most tables at the restaurant. It serves two, but Rocha also recommends making larger batches to serve at parties or for groups of friends, as the preparation of making aioli, roasting tomatoes and braising the mussels can come together in preparation before everyone arrives, then assembled just before serving.
For the aioli: First, fill a small cup with cold water to have beside you just in case the aioli starts to split while you are whisking in the oil. Combine your oils in an easy pouring jug (large measuring cup).
Put the egg yolks, mustard, garlic, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of the water into a food processor and process until smooth.
With the motor still running, slowly add the oils through the feeder tube until the aioli starts to come together, then you can pour in the remaining oil more quickly until it is fully incorporated and the mixture has emulsified. If it starts to split, add a little more water to bring it back together.
Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to your taste. Reserve 2 tablespoons of aioli for the toast, then cover and store the remainder in the fridge for up to 3 days.
For the mussels toast: Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Put the tomatoes into a roasting pan, then prick each one with the tip of a knife. Drizzle with olive oil, then toss together with the vinegar and garlic. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until blisters appear and juices begin to be released, then set aside.
Heat the butter in a deep pan over a high heat until sizzling, then add the mussels (having discarded any open mussels that don’t shut when tapped) and pour in the cider. Cover with a lid and cook the mussels for 3–5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened.
Remove the mussels from the pan, reserving the cooking liquor. Discard any mussels that remain closed. When cool enough to handle, pick the mussels out of the shells, discarding the shells.
Return the mussels to the liquor in the pan, add the roasted tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the juice from the roasting pan and slowly warm through over a low–medium heat until hot.
Meanwhile, toast the sourdough, then place on two serving plates and spread each slice liberally with the aioli. Spoon the mussels and tomatoes evenly over the toast and garnish with the basil leaves.
