Bouzrouq

Mussels in Tomato Chermoula Sauce

In coastal towns and cities, mussels are usually enjoyed in restaurants rather than at home. The tomato chermoula is a perfect sauce in which to cook them. Serve with plenty of bread to soak up the delicious juices.

SERVES 6

2 kg (4 lb 8 oz) large fresh mussels

3 ripe tomatoes

½ preserved lemon, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

2 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

coriander (cilantro) leaves, extra, for serving

Scrub the mussels and beard them if necessary. If any are open, tap them on your bench, and if they don’t close, discard. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To peel the tomatoes, score a cross in the base of each one. Place them in a bowl of boiling water for 20 seconds, then drain and cover with cold water. Drain again, peel the skin away from the cross, halve them crossways and squeeze out the seeds. To prepare the preserved lemon, remove the pulp and membranes. Rinse the rind and chop into small pieces.

In a large pot, heat the oil, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper and cooking, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, herbs and preserved lemon. Season, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft. Add the lemon juice.

Add the mussels, cover the pot tightly and cook over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until they open – this should take about 6–8 minutes. Divide the mussels and sauce into bowls. If any mussels have not opened, return them to the pot with a little of the sauce, cover and cook a little longer – if they still do not open, discard them. Sprinkle the mussels with the coriander leaves and serve hot.

Right: Clean the mussels by scrubbing them and removing the beards if necessary.

Far right: Simmer the sauce until the tomatoes are soft before adding the mussels.

Mussels in Tomato Chermoula Sauce