Food

Chef Joshna Maharaj dishes out serious cold-weather comfort with her winter dinner party ideas. Serve these mussels with sticky rice or a side of crusty bread to hold all of the lovely broth.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 oz fresh or smoked chorizo, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large plum tomato, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
2 cups low sodium fish or chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
to taste salt and pepper
4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 small handful cilantro, finely chopped
1 loaf crusty bread

Preparation

1. In a large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil to medium high heat.
2. Add the chorizo, carrots, and onion
3. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened (about 8 minutes).
4. Spoon off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat and deglaze pan with white wine.
5. Add the garlic, diced tomato, saffron, smoked paprika & cayenne and cook over moderate heat until fragrant (about 4 minutes).
6. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
7. Add the coconut milk and simmer over moderately high heat for 3 minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper. 
9. Add mussels, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until all shells are open and mussels are cooked through. 
10. Ladle into bowls, garnish with the chopped coriander and serve hot with a hunk of crusty bread.

More Reciples by Chef Joshna Maharaj:
Winter Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
Joshna’s Chicken Marsala 
Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding

Yield: serves 4