Spanish Mussels

I love mussels, they're not difficult to cook and yet in Britland seem to have a wow factor in the home kitchen, "ohh you're cooking mussels?"  Type of response.  Just the sort of response I like.

This is 'Spanish style' as we have onion, garlic, white wine and paprika in the tomato sauce.  Paprika really works with the mussels.

Ingredients (4)

2kg mussels, beards removed and scraped (remove any mussels with broken shells or ones remaining open when tapped)

2 large onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 400g tin of tomatoes

1 glass of white wine

1 TBSP paprika (hot smoked for me)

1 tsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

Black pepper

Olive oil

Parsley to garnish and buttered crusty bread to serve.

Method:

Find a lidded pan big enough to fit the mussels and start frying onions in oil, low heat for 20 minutes (until soft and lightly golden).

Add everything but the mussels, bring to a high simmer.  Lower the heat and continue simmering gently for 10-15 minutes. 

Turn the heat back up to medium/high, add mussels and cover. Cook for 4 or so minutes, whilst stirring from time to time or shaking the pan (lid on).

Mine here, having just gone into the sauce..

Once the shells are open, heat off and start serving into bowls.

Make sure everyone gets some of the delicious  tomato sauce that's now laced with mussel juices and garnish with chopped parsley.