Harry's Mussels & Chorizo with Peppers

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Harry Cobean

Executive Chef
Joined
Apr 29, 2012
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ok fellow gastronauts,this one is heavy on flavour,light on ingredients,quick & very easy to cook.i made it the day after i had cooked a paella,out of left over ingredients.made it up as i went along!!i know not everyone likes/can easily get hold of fresh mussels so why not make it with sliced skinless/boneless chicken thighs instead & add a bit of chicken stock & salt to replace the mussel liquid?what is nicer than chicken,chorizo,peppers & garlic etc:yum:?your food,you choose!
HARRY'S TIP
i keep mussels in the fridge in a bowl of bottled water with sea salt & instant mashed potato powder dissolved in the water.the mussels feed on the instant mash & it bulks them up overnight
THE INGREDIENTS
a)fresh mussels cleaned & checked...you know what to do
b)fresh red pepper deseeded & sliced.i like the pointy ones...sweeter than bell imo but bell peppers are fine
c)cherry toms halved or quartered..i got some mini marzano toms but any will do as long as they are sweet
d)chorizo with casing removed & sliced.i used uncooked cooking chorizo but regular ready to eat is fine.i like to remove the casing but that's up to you
e)garlic to taste peeled & sliced
f)chilli to taste sliced or dried flakes or cayenne.i used a scotch bonnet...hoots mon the noo...smokin'!
g)evoo...couple of glugs
h)lots of ground black pepper
THE METHOD
1)put the chorizo slices in a cold pan with a little bit of evoo
2)turn on the heat until the chorizo starts to sizzle then maintain the heat.the idea is to draw the oil/paprika from the chorizo & colour slightly.
3)add the rest of the oil,pepper slices,tomatoes,garlic,chilli & black pepper
4)whack up the heat,stir until the peppers/toms start to soften & release their juices
5)chuck in the mussels,stir & put the lid on
6)cook & shake the pan until the mussels have opened & released their delicious salty juices(i say,steady on there vicar:ermm:!)
7)ENJOY!!
personally i think all you need with this is good bread to mop up the juices....and ice cold beer or wine of choice of course!
HARRY'S TIP No 2
add some cream,creme fraiche or yogurt after the mussels have opened & cook for a minute or two longer with the lid off....oh my oh my oh my:yum:!!
 

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taxlady said:
Nope, not a clue. What do I do with fresh mussels and how much do I need per person?

I think he means debearding them and making sure they're shut, not open and dead.

It sounds lovely, Harry! Will have to give it a go with chicken, no source of fresh mussels here :(
 
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Yes, always best to make sure they are debearded, not a nice thing to see on cooked mussels
 
Yeah, I think so, but I have never cooked mussels. I think you have to scrub them too. I need all the details of what to do when I get them home.

I think he means debearding them and making sure they're shut, not open and dead.

It sounds lovely, Harry! Will have to give it a go with chicken, no source of fresh mussels here :(

Nope, not a clue. What do I do with fresh mussels and how much do I need per person?
okey dokey chaps!
firstly dawg,sorry you can't get fresh mussels.you could try it with frozen mussel meats or one of those vac pacs of cooked mussels in their shells.costco & all the supermarkets here sell them as they have a long fridge life & aren't bad at all...usually packed in a white wine or garlic/cream sauce.if using just the meats then check for seasoning at the end
the finely sliced skinless chicken thighs work beautifully particularly if you use the added cream at the end of cooking version.
tax,this is harry's 1,2,3(well,maybe more!) for mussels
1)1kilo/2lbs of fresh mussels in their shells is enough,on their own with say bread,for one hungry person or 2 not so hungry peeps
2)i used about 750grms(just under 2lbs)in this recipe for one person.but to be honest,i don't weigh them,just judge by sight
3)i try to buy mine the day before i use them.when i get them home i dissolve some sea salt in bottled water or cold water from the kettle that has been boiled a couple of times(tap water over here is full of water treatment chemicals & flouride etc)until it tastes like sea water then dissolve a teaspoon or two of instant mashed potato powder in the water.discard any that don't close when tapped hard or have broken shell's,they're dead.
4)put the mussels in a bowl,cover with the water/mash mix & leave in the fridge overnight.the mussels feed on the mash & it bulks them up a treat
5)drain the mussels,rinse then scrub & debeard.to be honest all the mussels i buy are farmed in scotland & have been pretty thoroughly scrubbed at the farm so are very clean with few beards
6)again,discard any that remain open & don't close when tapped hard.
7)at this point i very often just chuck them in a smokin' hot pan naked...no wine,no garlic,no cream...just the water clinging to their shells.lid on & shake the pan like when you make popcorn.the liquid from the mussels makes it's own sauce......absolutely the most delicious way to cook mussels imo.discard any that don't open when cooked.they were dead before cooking
8)over here mussels are about the cheapest fish/seafood you can buy...£3 per kilo(less than £1.50/lb) & they have been described as the perfect food....almost pure protein,low fat,full of vits/minerals & bloody tasty as well!!
 
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