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Serves: 4
TASTE OF MAY FACT
Eating seafood in Australia is incredibly popular, but the humble black lip mussel often gets overlooked on menus, which is a shame because if correctly prepared and cooked, they are absolutely delicious! This recipe draws its influence from Spain where mussels are often cooked and served as part of tapas menus. The mussels are cooked in a homemade tomato sauce flavoured with smoked paprika, fennel seeds and the famous Spanish sausage, chorizo, which is caramelised before being added to the sauce.
INGREDIENTS
- 10ml Olive Oil
- 200gm Brown Onion – top, tail, peel, halve and finely dice.
- 4 Garlic Cloves – peel and finely chop.
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2/3 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 250ml White Wine
- 800gm Crushed Tomato
- 250ml Water
- To taste – Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- As required – Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray
- 120gm Chorizo Sausage – finely slice widthways.
- 2kg Black Lip Mussels – thoroughly rinse in cold running water, clean and drain.
- 20 Flat Leaf Parsley Leaves – rinse, drain and roughly tear.
METHOD
- Over moderate heat, in a saucepan, add and heat the first quantity of oil, then add the onions and sauté stirring regularly until the onions have softened.
- Add the garlic, smoked paprika and fennel seeds and continue to sauté for a further minute.
- Add the white wine, crushed tomato and water, mix to combine and bring it up to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to gently simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced, thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste, then remove the saucepan from the heat and set to one side.
- Over moderate heat, in a saucepan, lightly spray oil and once hot, add the chorizo sausage and sear it for 30 seconds on each side or until it is well browned and caramelised.
- Add the tomato sauce to the saucepan (carefully as the oil from the sausage might spit), mix to combine with the chorizo sausage, then bring it up to the boil. Add the mussels and mix to combine, then bring the sauce back up to the boil. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and continue to boil for 5 minutes or until the mussels have opened and are cooked through.
TO SERVE
Place the mussels in either the saucepan or a serving bowl at the table, lightly sprinkled with roughly torn parsley. Serve with torn, warm crusty bread to assist soaking up the sauce.
