Mussels are probably the biggest value at the seafood market, at about four dollars a pound steamed mussels are a “fancy” dinner that will not even dent the family food budget. Do get your mussels at good fish market or other reliable seafood purveyor, for me Whole Foods is close and has great product especially if you get to know the fish guys and ask them what’s good on a given day.  The other night the Whole Foods fish guy was more than thrilled to sell me some of his really great mussels. These were great, no fishy smell, no beards to tug off and they felt as clean as any mussels I have ever cooked. It pays to be friendly with the fish guys. After you pick out your lovely mussels be sure you don’t suffocate them on the way home, they need to breath. If they are in a plastic bag be sure to vent the bag so your mussels can get some fresh air.  You see fresh mussels aren’t just “fresh” they are alive….kind of cool, eh? Just so you know if I am serving mussels as a main course I figure on pound per person, for an appetizer portion half a pound or less should be enough depending on the rest of the meal.

There are two kinds of chorizo, fresh and dry.  I live in South Florida and we are lucky to have lots of “ethnic” stuff (I don’t really think of chorizo as all that ethnic but it’s in that section of my store) in our local grocery stores so I have easy access to both kinds of chorizo and I have decided I am a fresh chorizo kind of girl. It’s so good and anything you cook with gets this rich smokey flavor and beautiful golden/orange color. That wonderful flavor is going to help the broth in with your mussels go from good to rockstar, so have lots of crusty bread on hand to dip in it. The mixture of the sausage, onions and tomatoes in the broth are like a whole other meal that you get in the bottom of your mussel pot.

Steamed Mussels with Chorizo Sausage & Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs of mussels
  • 3-4 fresh chorizo sausages with the casings removed
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 3 medium onions
  • 2 tbs Tomato paste
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes
  • 1.5 cups white wine
  • Fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Start by sorting and cleaning your mussels, I put them in a large colander and rinse them well. Then I scrub them with a stiff brush, remove the beard (it helps the mussel hold on to rocks), throw away any damaged, dead or chipped mussels. Some people soak the mussels in water (with or without corn meal) to let them release any sand they are holding. I have done this many times and I have skipped it just as many times; I don’t know that I have tasted much difference. That being said I get my mussels from places like Whole Foods if you are lucky enough to getting them right from a fisherman or are collecting them on your own I would think releasing the sand may be more important.
  2. Next set them aside and heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a large lidded pot. Once hot add the sausage and break it apart letting it brown until cooked through. Then add in the roughly chopped onion and garlic. And allow it to cook until the onion is getting tender.
  3. Next deglaze the pot with the white wine; be sure to scrape and browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Then add the tomato paste mixing it until fully dissolved. Once the wine is boiling nicely add in the chopped tomato and then the mussels stirring gently a few times.
  4. Cover the pot letting it cook for about 6-8 minutes or until the mussels open. Remove the pot from the heat and stir it one more time mixing all the nice broth through the mussels. Sprinkle lots of fresh parsley over the top, it’s lovely bright flavor is a nice addition to the pot.
  5. Serve the mussels with a big loaf of crusty white bread and a glass of cool white wine. I am always sure that when I serve each person they get a nice amount of the both the wonderful broth as well as the tasty sausage with their mussels. Don’t forget a discard bowl for the table so everyone has a place to put their empty shells.

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