Mussels in Chorizo Tomato Broth

Tender mussels cooked in a spicy, rich tomato broth.

With single digit temperatures outside, this spicy and rich tomato broth will warm you right up! I spent most of my life under the false pre-tense that I was allergic to shellfish and ever since they told me I wasn’t, I’ve been eating as much as I can.

Mussels are quick cooking, but are often overlooked as an easy meal. Happy eating!

ingredients

• 1.5 lbs mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons shallot, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup tomatoes, finely diced
• 2 links or 6 oz chorizo, diced or crumbled**
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika or aleppo pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cup chicken bone broth or stock
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

method

1. Clean mussels: rinse in cold water, scrub to remove any dirt on shells and de-beard by pulling down towards the base to remove.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium-large saucepan.
3. Add shallot and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until soft and translucent.
4. Add garlic and tomatoes and raise heat to medium-high. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
5. Add chorizo and cook until browned (if you are using raw chorizo, this will take longer).
6. Stir in paprika and/or aleppo pepper until everything is coated and spices are fragrant.
7. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
8. Stir in wine, scrapping up any of the fond (aka brown bits) on the bottom. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
9. Stir in broth/stock and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add salt and/or pepper as needed (this is dependent on the saltiness of chorizo). The broth should be as seasoned as you want it in the finished broth.
10. Add mussels and cover the pan. Steam for 3 minutes.
11. Add heavy cream and cover again, letting them steam for 3 more minutes or until mussel shells have opened. Do not overcook!
12. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and enjoy!

notes

**i used pre-cooked chorizo, chopped into small pieces, however you can use raw chorizo out of the casing and crumbled