A week, so it is said, is a long time in politics and an extended absence from the mountain is a long time in terms of what arrives at our doorstep. Bread Man was a bit all over the place for the first few days, but we seem to have settled back into a routine. I’m also getting going with my sourdough starter, using Sawsan’s brilliant tutorial, so I’ll let you know how my adventures in sourdough bread making go once I’m ready.
Fish deliveries continue but Fish Man has been replaced by a very jolly young lady who hails from Big Man’s home town, so she can clearly be trusted to bring us nothing but the best (according to Big Man). Yesterday she had some beautiful mussels, and for once they didn’t need too much scrubbing to get them ready for the pot.
A simple, hearty lunch of mussels with chorizo was made in minutes, and thanks to Bread Man, we were able to mop up any juices that had escaped our slurping.
Ingredients (for 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter)
- 1kg cleaned mussels (discard any broken or open shells)
- 4 cloves of garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 fresh chorizo sausages (or about 30cm of dried chorizo) sliced
- A small glass of white wine
- Freshly chopped parsley and lemon wedges to serve
Simply sauté the chorizo until it starts to brown (no olive oil needed usually as chorizo is quite fatty) then add the garlic. Stir into the oil for a minute or so until it starts to soften then add the mussels and wine (or a glass of water if you don’t like to cook with alcohol). Cover with a lid and continue to cook for a few more minutes until all the shells are open.
Serve with all the juices poured over, sprinkle over the parsley and let each person add lemon juice to taste. ¡Buen provecho!
Chica Andaluza 
I haven’t tried mussels with chorizo but I certainly will. Thank you.
It’s a good combination – works well!
Chorizo and sourdough make everything worthwhile…especially if there is a glass or two of wine involved. The Husband has finally cracked sourdough. I knew there was a reason I married him! 😉
Does he still have his baking blog – if he does, can you remind me of the name so I can subscribe? You lucky lady!
Oh, yes, I love mussels with chorizo, and these look wonderful! The bread looks good, too.
I suspect you probably have this recipe someone on your blog…perhaps you subliminally influenced me 🙂
No, this one’s new to me! I usually use red wine and tomatoes with chorizo, now I want to try your version!
And I’ll try yours 🙂
Mussels couldn’t be improved by much – but chorizo is probably it. Looks yummy 🙂
You’re right – if they’re good and fresh they don’t usually need much else!
Scrumptious! As an inlet girl who lived close to water for most of my life and only started this “vegan nonsense” as a latter day convert I am well versed in the art of “mussel”. A change is as good as a holiday and you guys got both! Welcome mussel girl and get your groove back bread man…Chica is back and she WON’T be having any of this sporadic nonsense! 😉
Hee hee- I’m British dammit, and if you say you’re going to be here at 9am, I expect you to be here! All seems to be settling into a cosy routine round here again 🙂
Specially since you brought that whip back with you… “FORGET Manana… “HOY!” and pretty damned quick about it sir/madam! I expect temprano en la manana as well so that I can get back to my Siesta!!!!” MAN are they going to love having you back! 😉
You can get away with quite a lot of “eccentricity” here if you’re British! And am very impressed con tu espanol!
Todos Felicitaciones a Google Translate 😉
Too right 🙂
Esta la pruebo sin falta…
Graaaaaacias!
Que lo disfrutes!
So simple yet sounding so moreish! No trouble getting chorizo of more than one kind – mussels a wee bit of a problem living inland: but this sounds so good a few phone calls will be made > Sydney to see which friend will be down next 😀 !
Although we’re 40 minutes from the sea, (not so far really) we’re very lucky to have fresh fish and shellfish delivered. Wish I could send you some but think it might be a bit stinky by the time it arrived!
Mmmmm … so that’s the smell wafting down off the mountain! 😉
Thanks for the link to the sourdough starter – amazing!
Yes, it was me…cooking! Not quite sure about my starter, it seems to have developed a layer of liquid…am off to investigate!
And when will mussel man arrive:)
Very clever! I suppose I should say that with Big Man in my life, he’s already here 😉
Mussels are my all time favourite!! The ones that we used to get in Spain seemed like giants compared to their English cousins! Good luck with your sour dough… the last time I tried it, I ended up with it multiplying so much it was like a chapter of that children’s story where the porridge takes over the town! 🙂
My mum says she prefers the smaller English ones, and I think in England they do taste sweeter. Here they’re the big ones and I love them! Do hope my sourdough does the same as at the moment it’s doing strange things and not puffing up at all 😦
Absolutely heavenly Tanya – the simpler a meal the more I enjoy it and this is perfection!
Have a super week ahead.
🙂 Mandy xo
Simple is good, and so it speedy! Hope your weekend was lovely 🙂
One of my favorite restaurants does a very similar dish, with Portuguese Chorico. It’s much more avialible here, with our heavy immigrant community. It’s also the only mussel dish I’ve ever found that I like, despite trying them many times and ways over the years…
Glad to see you’re settling back in…time to whip those troops into shape! 🙂
There are so many similarities between Portuguese and Spanish cuisine yet some many distinctions too – it’s wonderful! We are settling back in now…it’s a good feeling 🙂
Your title had me thinking something in keeping with an Almodovar film had gone on – that would have been a shock to Fish Man!
Great mussels and good luck with the bread 😉
Ooh yes, will check for an Adam’s Apple next time!
Oh yes please – shellfish and sausage! (Not quite the kosher special, but I don’t care ;-)) Mmmmmm!!
Mmm, not remotely kosher 😉
Ooooo I can’t wait to see what you make with your sourdough starter
Thank you kindly for the shout out 🙂
It is good to be home isn’t it?
So very good indeed. Was a bit worried that my starter had a layer of liquid but have checked and this seems to be normal. It’s bubbling away nicely now and hopefully I will use it at the weekend, which I’m very excited about!
That does happen sometimes, some people say just stir it in while others advise that you should pour it out. Can’t wait to bake sourdough with you 🙂
These look great. I need to take the better half out for mussels! Maybe I’ll find a place for this weekend. Or we just pop over and say hello 🙂
Mussels and Chorizo sounds a great combination. 🙂 Will surely try this one. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Tina
http://fashionandchocolat.blogspot.com/
Thanks for your kind words Tina – and thanks for popping by!
Oh pop over…so much more fun! Mind you, I think there is a chain of Belgian restaurants in London (is it called Café Belgo?) that does a huge range of mussel dishes.
One thing I truly am pea green with envy over when I visit your blog is your access to all this great fish and seafood. I love mussels and they look so fresh and slurpable!
We are very lucky ad we were lucky in England too…I’ve been spoiled!
siunds preety easy, i’m gonna cook my razor clamp this way
Ooh yes, they would be good too!
We saw so many little shops with fresh fish on display over shards of ice.. sooo fresh, you really live in the best place on the planet for seafood.. and probably all food:) Being away is always such a challenge.. being a creature of habit, three weeks for us was almost too long! xx
I agree that 3 weeks is almost too long for a holiday! I think we felt a bit out of sorts the first few weeks in the UK but when we started to regard it seriously as a job, our attitudes changed. Now we’re back in Spain, we’re a bit all over the place for the first few weeks, but we’ll settle soon. We are indeed very lucky both in Spain and the UK for being in a great place for seafood…lucky we adore it 🙂