Much as I love all food from the sea, mussels have never ranked high on my list. But, sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration to give something another try. Recently, I saw one of my fav chefs, Ina Garten, do a unique preparation that intrigued me: she cooked mussels conventionally by steaming them in wine, but then topped them with a fresh herby mix of breadcrumbs. I thought how wonderful those briny mussels must taste with the hit of garlic, a tangy bite of sun dried tomatoes, and the toasted crunch. All very nice, but I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Though the topping was a great addition, I wasn’t sure it would be substantial enough. Why not give the dish a galician kick with chunks of smoky chorizo? Add some garlicky grilled ciabbata croutes to dip in the winey broth and a simple green salad. Wow. We have a winner.
Mussels and Chorizo with Basil Garlic Breadcrumbs
This dish is just fun to eat. And there is so much depth of flavor, you’ll feel totally gratified by it. The salty, spicy chorizo contrasts beautifully with the succulent mussels; the garlicky herbaceous breadcrumbs, tossed with chewy, rich sun dried tomatoes add a complex flavor component. The resulting broth is a wonderful blend of the reduced wine, sea juices from the shellfish, and a smoky hit from the sausage.
Begin by prepping the fresh bread crumbs: remove the crust from a small bread or baguette and roughly chop. Process quickly in a food processor to make crumbs. Toast until golden brown.
In a medium skillet, quickly saute finely chopped garlic cloves in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium low heat until just translucent, being careful not to burn. Add diced sun dried tomatoes and toss until warmed through and coated with oil. Toss in the toasted breadcrumbs and add more olive oil, if necessary, to moisten the mixture. Turn off the heat, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and mix in minced basil. Set aside.
Most mussels that you find in the market are cultivated or farmed and are, therefore, pretty clean without many barnacles or beards. But they should be checked over and scrubbed or debearded if necessary. If any of the mussel shells are open, tap on them to see if they close themselves. If they don’t, they’re not safe to eat–toss them out. In a large bowl, sprinkle the mussels with flour and cover with cold water–this will help them “cough up” any sand or grit.
Peel the outer casing from the chorizo and finely dice. In a large heavy soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring, until slightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Add a chopped Spanish onion to the oil in the pot and cook until translucent, another 4 to 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium high, add white wine, and bring just to the boil. Fill pot with the mussels and top with chorizo. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mussel shells are all open, about 10 to 12 minutes.
To make the croutes, thinly slice the ciabatta and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Grill until both sides are golden brown and then immediately rub with a garlic clove that’s been sliced in half.
Serve mussels in large bowls, ladling the broth and chorizo bits over. Top generously with the breadcrumb mix. Plate with the ciabatta croutes for dipping. Make sure there are plenty of napkins and a large bowl to capture the shells. This meal is a knockout!
Serves 4:
Breadcrumb Topping:
1 small baguette (2 cups) bread, crust removed
extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons diced sun dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds cultivated mussels
1/4 cup flour
1/2 pound chorizo, casing removed
1 medium spanish onion, chopped
3 cups white wine
Ciabatta Croutons:
1/2 ciabatta loaf, thinly sliced
extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved lengthwise