Bowl of Mussel Stew
(click to enlarge)

Mussel Stew


Spain - Galacia   -   uiso de Mejillones a la Gallega
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 main
***
1 hr
Yes		 A substantial and satisfying seafood stew modified a bit for local practicality (live mussels are scarce and expensive here, and difficult to clean).




1
6
5
2
2
3
1/3
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2/3
1
2
2
1
1/1
1/2
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#
oz
oz
cl
oz
#
c
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c
c


t
t
t
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Mussel Meat (1)  
Onion
Bell Pepper, grn
Garlic
Chorizo (2)
Potatoes (3)
Olive Oil
-- Broth
Wine, white
Clam Juice
Bay Leaf
Thyme sprig
Paprika (4)
Salt
Pepper
-- Garnish
Parsley (flat)

The photo example is made with giant New Zealand mussels cut in half (because they were cheaper than smaller ones that week).

Prep   -   (30 min)
  1. Chop ONIONS medium. Chop BELL PEPPER medium. Crush GARLIC and chop small. Chop CHORIZO medium. Mix all.
  2. Peel POTATOES, cut into cubes about 1 inch on a side. Hold in cold water until needed.
  3. Chop Parsley medium for Garnish.
Run   -   (30 min)
  1. Heat Oil and fry the Onion Mix, stirring until Onions are translucent but no browning.
  2. Stir in Potatoes, then All Broth Items. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in MUSSELS and bring back to a boil. Simmer another 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
  4. Take off heat and let rest for about 5 minutes (like many stews this one is even better left to rest overnight and reheated).
  5. Serve garnished with chopped Parsley.
NOTES:

  1. Mussel Meat:

     The original recipe used 4 pounds of live mussels, but those aren't so economically available around here as they are on the coast of Galicia. Frozen mussel meat is very available in the Asian markets and a lot less trouble to use - but we don't get the liquid from inside the shell, so we add a bit more meat and clam juice to compensate.

  2. Chorizo:

      Not Mexican chorizo! A Spanish cooking chorizo is what you need, like Chorizo de Bilbao (also available in the frozen section of Philippine markets). If you can't find that, use some Polish sausage or skip the Chorizo.

  3. Potatoes:

      I use Red Potatoes for this, but White Rose would work fine too. Avoid Yukon Gold type potatoes as they turn to mush if overcooked a little. For details see our Potatoes page.

  4. Paprika:

      Please, real Spanish or Hungarian paprika, not that sawdust flavored stuff they sell in the supermarkets.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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