Steamed Mussels
with Chorizo, Tomato and Potato

Possible Cooking Methods:   Stovetop   Pressure Cooker   

Mussels are almost always a one-pot meal. They steam open over a broth and instantly add a natural saltiness and flavor, making the sauce almost more delicious than the mussels themselves! In this recipe, the addition of the Chorizo sausage, potatoes and tomatoes makes it more of a complete meal, but don’t forget a nice piece of crusty French bread to soak up all of the flavor. A crisp and crunchy salad with frisée lettuce would be nice too.

2 pounds mussels

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound raw Chorizo sausage, removed from casing and crumbled

1 small onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, diced ½-inch (about 2 cups)

3 tomatoes, chopped (about 2 to 2½ cups)

1½ cups white wine*

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped orange zest

half an orange

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

*Quantity changes for alternate methods

Stovetop Directions

Serves:4

Cooking Time:20 minutes

1.  Clean the mussels by scrubbing them with a brush under running water. Pull off the beard (the whiskery hairs protruding from the shell). Discard any mussels that are broken or won’t close their shells when tapped.

2.  Pre-heat a large 5-quart braiser pan (one that has a lid). Add the olive oil and sauté the Chorizo sausage until browned. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the potatoes and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes start to soften. Add the tomatoes and the wine, increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil.

3.  Add the mussels and cover the pan with the lid. Steam the mussels for roughly 5 minutes, until they open.

4.  Remove the mussels from the pot with a slotted spoon and place in serving bowls, discarding any mussels whose shells did not open or are cracked and broken. Stir in the parsley, orange zest and black pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the butter. Squeeze the half an orange into the sauce and pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve immediately with crusty bread or French fries to soak up the tasty liquid.

 

Additional Cooking Directions for

Steamed Mussels with Chorizo, Tomato and Potato

These are Cara Cara oranges, which are a type of navel orange with a pinky red and orange flesh. They are a little sweeter and less acidic than regular navel oranges and seedless too. You don’t need to use Cara Cara oranges in this recipe, but they are nice if they are available.

Pressure Cooker Directions

Serves:4

Cooking Time:7 minutes

Change Ingredients:  Reduce the wine to 1 cup

1.  Clean the mussels by scrubbing them with a brush under running water. Pull off the beard (the whiskery hairs protruding from the shell). Discard any mussels that are open, broken or don’t close their shells when tapped.

2.  Pre-heat the pressure cooker using the BROWN setting. Add the olive oil and sauté the Chorizo sausage until browned. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. (If your cooker doesn’t have a brown setting, use a pot on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.) Add the potatoes, tomatoes, wine and all the mussels. Lock the lid in place.

3.  Pressure cook on HIGH for 4 minutes.

4.  Reduce the pressure with the QUICK-RELEASE method and carefully remove the lid.

5.  Remove the mussels from the pot with a slotted spoon and place in serving bowls, discarding any mussels whose shells did not open or are cracked and broken. Stir the parsley, orange zest and black pepper into the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the remaining butter. Squeeze the half an orange into the sauce and pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve immediately with crusty bread or French fries to soak up the tasty liquid.