Sunday, January 18, 2009

Mussels with Chorizo and Red Peppers



Last night, our gourmet group got together. We are a group of five couples, all of whom love to cook and entertain. The host and hostess research and set the menu and assign each couple one recipe to make. The host couple always provides the main course and wine to suit the meal. Our assigned recipe was this wonderful mussel appetizer dish. From an issue of Coastal Living, my hostess found this recipe while browsing through the magazine on a plane flying home from Hilton Head Island earlier this month. Rarely has an appetizer been so popular with every member of our group! I could have it again for dinner tonight :)

Chorizo sausage, julienned red peppers, onions and garlic with white wine was prepared late in the afternoon and brought to our host couple's home:


All I had to do to finish the recipe was bring the above to a boil and add the lovely black mussels and then sprinkle with chopped cilantro:


Steaming hot and plated, several lime wedges were added as garnish afterward:


Declared a keeper! Since there were 10 of us, I used 6 pounds of mussels and doubled or tripled the sausage and vegetables. I used one whole bottle of white wine. Also, since I'm not a huge fan of cilantro I used half parsley and half cilantro.

Mussels with Red Pepper and Chorizo

http://www.coastalliving.com/food/dinner-in-a-breeze/mussels-red-pepper-chorizo-00400000007989/

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (3½-ounce) cured chorizo sausage, casing removed, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin, short strips
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups dry white wine
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo, and saute 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and saute 5 minutes. Add wine, paprika, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Increase heat to medium-high, and add mussels. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes or until mussels open. Discard any that do not open. Stir in cilantro. Spoon mussels, sauce, and vegetables into 4 shallow serving bowls. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Makes 4 servings.

15 comments:

  1. Very similar!
    Oh I bet you had fun..We had a nice gourmet meal too:) Thanks for the recipe also.Great to bring as a contribution I think!Fresh fresh!!

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  2. Susan, oh yes, I can see this is a keeper! I think it's great that you have such nice friends that share your interest of food. Our group of 6 couples gets together next Saturday.

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  3. What a fun time your gourmet group must be! Curiousity is killing me...what was the rest of the menu?

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  4. It sounds like a great group you have!
    Although I won't eat them, I have gathered them from the bay,on the docks, and large rocks.. and shaved their beards off...:)
    I love to dig for clams too, but I won't eat them raw...

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  5. Thanks, Monique, Debbie, Marsha and Kathleen ;)

    To answer your question, Marsha, the rest of the menu was:

    -Spiced Apple, Cranberry and Pecan Salad

    -Grilled Rack of Lamb with Mint Pesto Crust over Couscous

    -Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Mushrooms, and

    -Orange Butter Cakes with Creme Anglaise

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  6. Susan, the dish looks and sounds delicious. ... What high praise that your Gourmet Group raved about it.

    I love the picture with the steam coming up

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  7. What a menu! I've only started enjoying mussels the past five years or so and love them! You have an outstanding group..

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  8. Susan, all the pics are really good! I like how you captured it all. The recipe sounds fantastic. And glad I came to comments to see the rest of the menu! ;-)

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  9. The gourmet group get-together sounds like fun! and the dish looks really good! I can eat anything with chorizos =D

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  10. Thank you, Cynthia, Barb, Jayne and PigPig! It was a great dish and a fun night.

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  11. beautiful pics susan, its so fun you have such a nice group!

    how is your sil?

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  12. Susan, I would absolutely love everything on your menu, well, except the mussels.
    And your photography, as always, was enough to keep me from doing inventory today. But, it was worth it.

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  13. Beautiful pictures and the recipe makes my mouth water!

    I wanted to let you know that we saw Gran Torino yesterday! Put it on your list - Clint is magnificant!

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  14. Susan, I just commented on "WFD and more" and had not visited your blog yet, but I mentioned how I had recently seen recipes for butternut squash and sage on Cook's Illustrated. .... I thought it looked like a good recipe. ... Now I know that it is and yours looks fabulous.

    John's favorite flower is tulips.... I had to call him over to see your lovely painting (watercolor?)... gorgeous.

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  15. Susan, your Gourmet Group sounds like so much fun.

    I would love those mussels!

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