Mussel & Chorizo Soup
This soup is a really cool mix of flavors, spicy chorizo and briny mussels, of land and sea, built on a deep base of the mussel cooking liquid and fish stock.
The chorizo imparts its flavor to the whole soup as its browned in the beginning, and releases its delicious oils for the vegetables to cook in. Then, as the mussels are steamed, their juices are added to the stock as it simmers and the potatoes cook, making for a rich, unique taste.
Make sure your mussels are very clean – remember, you’ll be adding the wine they’re steamed in into the soup, so any sand or sea scum on their shells will go right into the soup. Of course it’s also a good idea to strain the liquid before adding it, to remove particles.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: Chanterelle
2 pounds mussels (preferably Prince Edward Island or other rope-cultivated variety), scrubbed under cold running water and debearded
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces hot, dry Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large leek, cut into 1/4-inch dice and washed well
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 cups fish stock
1 ½ cups (about 12 ounces) canned whole tomatoes, with their juice, coarsely chopped
1 cup Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice, and covered with cold water until needed
kosher salt
black pepper from a mill
½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Put the mussels and wine in a large heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Cover and cook, very gently shaking the pot a few times, until the shells open, about 5 minutes. (Discard any mussels that do not open.) Drain the mussels in a colander set over a bowl and reserve the liquid. Strain the mussel broth through a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over another bowl, discarding the shell fragments. Remove the mussels from their shells and reserve the meat.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and saute until brown, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a bowl. Add the leek, onion, and garlic to the pan and cook in the chorizo oil over low heat until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Pour in the stock and reserved mussel broth and add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Drain the potatoes and add to the pan, cooking until they are tender to a knife tip, about 15 minutes. Adjust the soup’s seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Add the cooked mussels and chorizo just before serving to rewarm them, and ladle the soup evenly among 4 wide, shallow bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
