Mussel and Chorizo Soup
This recipe is originally from an article we saw in Food & Wine Magazine. The chef is Steve Corry who had a restaurant called 555 in Portland, Maine. It is sadly, now closed. It appears he does have another restaurant Petite Jacqueline in the same area. I could not find that this recipe is served there.
We have made it many times over the years. For those who like mussels it’s a big favorite. The chorizo adds a delicious unexpected smoky flavor for a main course soup.
Always start with a chop. With the leeks only use the white and tender green parts. No matter how hard you wash them, sometimes it’s necessary to wash again once chopped. Leeks are a very dirty vegetable!
More Chopping
Finely chop the carrots, onions, tomatoes and the leeks into similar size pieces.
Next it’s time to chop the dried chorizo. This is probably my favorite ingredient in this recipe. The smoky, richness of the chorizo, compliments the seafood, brininess of the mussels.
Steam the Mussels
Add about a 1/2 cup of wine (or more) to a pot with a tight fitting lid. This serves as the steaming broth, versus water or a stock.
Next add the shallots and let them turn a bit translucent as the wine comes to a boil.
Once the wine comes to a hard boil add the mussels and cover quickly. Resist the urge to remove the lid and let steam for 5 minutes. Once they are done steaming, discard any mussels that did not fully open. Gently pour the mussels and their broth into a separate bowl and keep warm.
Time to Sauté!
Heat olive oil then add the vegetables and chorizo. Let them cook down about 8 minutes or so. This is when it will start to smell so good.
It makes a nice beautiful color mixture.
The secret ingredient; saffron. It’s a very expensive spice, but the dish would not be the same without it. You only use a very small amount of it.
Now it’s time to add the liquids. First the stock. We have used a combination of chicken stock and clam juice. What seems to be the best for us is 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock, then a 1/2 cup of clam juice. Let that all simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes.
After the stock has simmered, add the cream. Correct with salt and pepper as desired. Remember, that the mussels are naturally salty so you won’t need much salt.
After adding back the mussels and thyme, let the soup just re-warm and simmer for a minute. The recipe does call to remove most of the mussels from their shell. We’ve done it both removing and not removing. It does not change the taste at all. Leaving the mussels in just gives a more dramatic presentation, we think.
We served this with just a simple salad and a bit of crusty French bread. We then served it again 3 weeks later for friends. We doubled the recipe and it was just fine for 6 main course bowls. Always a crowd pleaser too!
Mussel and Chorizo Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
- 3 lbs. mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 ozs. dry chorizo, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, finely diced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Roma tomatoes finely diced
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
- 3 cups low-sodium fish stock, clam juice or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
Instructions
- In a large, heavy pot, bring the wine with the shallots to a boil. Add the mussels, cover and cook over high heat until they open, about 5 minutes. Strain the cooking liquid into a large bowl and reserve. Remove the mussels from their shells, reserving some unshelled for garnish, if desired.
- In the large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the chorizo, carrots, leeks and onion; cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Spoon off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat. Add the garlic, diced tomato and saffron and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the fish stock and reserved mussel cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Add the cream to the soup and simmer over moderately high heat for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mussels and the thyme and simmer just until the mussels are heated through, about 1 minute. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the mussel shells and serve hot.
- If you'd like to make ahead: The shelled and unshelled mussels and the chorizo soup can be refrigerated separately overnight.
- Serve with crusty French bread. Enjoy!
