SubscribeI was skeptical about cooking Mussels & Chorizo for this week’s French Fridays with Dorie. This is a dish with every ingredient and flavour I love yet my impending training sojourn means I really ought to clear my kitchen of perishables instead of buying more fresh items. That sensibility was torn at the same time by the urge to cook along with the group for just another week before I have no access to my beloved home kitchen. Neither of those two arguments was louder than the other. In the end, it was my inability to refuse a good deal that gave me such a beautiful meal.
Succulent mussels and smoky chunks of chorizo sausages were steamed in a tomato broth fortified with roasted red pepper, fennel, onion, garlic, Pernod, and Aleppo pepper. It was a dish that kept on giving. On day one, I enjoyed a finger-licking feast of plates piled high with mussels in their shells. Every sip of the flavourful broth warmed my body from the inside. On the second day, leftovers turned into a light sauce to toss with tangles of spaghetti. Plump mussels were extracted from the shell and generously studded the pasta dish. It was the most luxurious post-run recovery meal I enjoyed in a long time.
Seafood is not a regular purchase for me because I don’t easily trust the quality of the counter at most typical grocery stores. I don’t have one of those coveted VIP-customer relationship with any fishmonger so I dread buying seafood. More precisely, I dread paying premium prices for subpar quality. But when I saw those gigantic 6lb boxes of mussels at Costco selling for $10.99, I wavered. Every box had the packaged date clearly on display and the mussels certainly looked good from the outside. I took the chance and very glad I did.
Out of 6lb of mussels, there were only 5 dead ones at final tally. That was a pretty good batting average especially for the attractive price tag! Aside from the two dishes I described, I also used some to make paella. It was a weekend filled with great food at my house.
I took some creative liberty with the recipe with my choice of roasted red pepper, fennel, and Pernod. The anise flavour was borrowed from classic bouillabaisse but also my lack of white wine at home. I used one third of the amount called for in the recipe and diluted the liquor with Japanese dashi. Obviously it would make more sense to use fish stock or even clam juice but dashi is a staple at my house. The taste of kombu and bonito certainly says ocean. Besides, the convenience is hard to beat. At this time of the year, fresh sweet pepper is so expensive that I avoid buying any unless I absolutely have to. Jarred roasted red pepper is a wonderful pantry staple that I turn to. For this recipe, it worked marvellously lending its signature sweet and smoky taste.
From the looks of the March recipe nomination, I’m afraid I will not be able to cook along with other French Fridays with Dorie bloggers. I will be cooking out of a bachelor’s kitchen without all my usual kitchen conveniences. Limitations are fun challenges and I’m sure cooking will continue to play a large part of my day when I’m not training. However, for my French Fridays fix, I’ll have to live vicariously through your writings and photos until my return in April! You too can live vicariously through everyone’s posts about this week’s mussels and chorizo.
Amazing deal & beautiful outcome!
Best wishes with your training.
Posted by: Cher | February 17, 2012 at 08:05 AM
What beautiful pictures - and I don't even like mussels!!! We'll miss you cooking along with us but you know we'll be here still in April with many many recipes to cook still!!!
Posted by: Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite | February 17, 2012 at 08:26 AM
I also got the Costco mussels - I've never had a bad experience buying clams and mussels from them, and the price is more than reasonable. I'll miss you during March and wish you much success in your skating.
Posted by: Adriana | February 17, 2012 at 08:55 AM
Beautiful!
Hope you enjoy your time away learning new things!
Posted by: Candy (dulce) | February 17, 2012 at 09:00 AM
5 dead out of 6 pounds is VERY good! Great find!
Best of luck with your training and we look forward to hearing from you again in April.
Posted by: Rose | February 17, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Your photos are wonderful, Candy. It looks so succulent and delicious. I like the sound of the substitutions you made. I am going to miss you while you are away, but I know you will have a good training time in Florida.
Posted by: Elaine | February 17, 2012 at 10:43 AM
but what a great note to leave FFWD for a month! :) I'm going to be doing quite a bit of traveling most of March and April so it will be a challenge to get those recipes accomplished and posted all the while!
Posted by: Acookingmizer.wordpress.com | February 17, 2012 at 12:02 PM
Oh. You did Pernod! I have been saying I thought that would make a nice addition the next time and here you have done it! Yeah! Now I certainly will as these will be regular invitees to dinner at our house.
Posted by: Trevor Sis. Boom. | February 17, 2012 at 12:24 PM
I love that you used roasted red peppers. That sounds tasty. Living in the PNW, Penn Cove mussels are always available, but I've never gotten any for the price that you did! Wow. Enjoy your training!
Posted by: Tammy | February 17, 2012 at 12:47 PM
Hope your training is going well and continues to! Gorgeous photos, glad you couldn't resist the mussels at Costco! That seems like a terrific deal, if it wasn't just two of us I'd consider a membership their. Have a wonderful weekend! I'll miss your FFWD posts next month, and will try to keep up with your other posts.
Posted by: Confessions of a Culinary Diva | February 17, 2012 at 08:05 PM
Beautiful photos and an amazing looking dinner! Glad you gave into the urge to make this dish...we really loved this one!
Posted by: Kathy | February 17, 2012 at 09:46 PM
I've had great luck with the seafood from Costco. It's always so fresh (and well-priced). Pernod for the white wine was a nice touch.
Best of luck in your training! We'll miss you in March, but see you in April.
Posted by: Betsy | February 17, 2012 at 10:01 PM
All of you are so sweet with your well-wishes. I hope training will go well and it'll be good to aclimatize to warm Florida weather!
Yes, Costco rocks. I have a membership even though I typically shop for one!
@Trevor, just remember to dilute the Pernod with stock. The fennel pieces were tasty too.
Posted by: DessertByCandy | February 18, 2012 at 07:34 AM
Wish we had a Costco! Maybe some day. Your dish looks great! Best of luck with your training. Keep us posted!
Posted by: Lola | February 18, 2012 at 09:12 AM
That's a beautiful dish for your last recipe before your training hiatus. Your mussels look amazing and your substitutions sound delicious.
Hope training goes well - see you in April!
Posted by: Teresa | February 19, 2012 at 01:32 AM
I followed your Costco sojurn into mussel madness via Facebook. Since I have never even thought of Costco and mussels in the same "thought", I will try to find it on my next trip. Like you, 'single shopping' doesn't make a stop at Costco necessary very often. However, if you were a VIP at Costco, you cound add it to your resume. Just sayin'....... I also am in a California rental for the Winter and am using a "rental" kitchen. Not complaining but it is challenging. That's the fun. Bonne chance with your training.
Posted by: Mary Hirsch | February 21, 2012 at 01:38 PM