Aishling Moore: How to make a one-pot wonder mussel and chorizo soup

Aishling Moore: "The key to any good soup is the stock, especially so in a broth. For this recipe, I’ve used a little fish stock that I had stashed in the freezer but a good quality vegetable stock will do the job here too." Picture: Chani Anderson.

Is there anything more comforting than a big pot of soup bubbling away on the stove?

When I cook at home I like to maximise my time in the kitchen, cooking two to three meals at once. I’ll fill the inactive cooking time with chopping, portioning, making and taking stock.

There is very little I find more satisfying at home or at the restaurant than an empty fridge. Running things down to build them back up again.

There’ll always be a soup on the go on such occasions. It’s a great way to use up odds, ends and leftovers and its ease of reheating makes certain I’ll be eating something nourishing during a busy week.

This weekend’s mussel and chorizo soup is a fabulous shellfish soup to add to one's repertoire of one-pot wonders.

Other than having to pick up a kilo of mussels in the market, I tend to have the other ingredients on hand.

The key to any good soup is the stock, especially so in a broth. For this recipe, I’ve used a little fish stock that I had stashed in the freezer but a good quality vegetable stock will do the job here too.

The juice released from cooking the mussels provides the soup with a real oceanic depth that you’ll only find with molluscs.

The sofrito – finely diced onion, celery, fennel and carrot cooked slowly in good quality golden rapeseed oil – is crucial too, laying a strong foundation of flavour.

Patience is essential, allowing the essence of each ingredient to be extracted before the next addition.

A handful of diced bell peppers, a few slivers of red chilli, a couple of sundried tomatoes and olives or a handful of chopped kale or baby spinach would all make excellent inclusions to this soup.

Mussel and chorizo soup

recipe by:Aishling Moore

This weekend’s mussel and chorizo soup is a fabulous shellfish soup to add to one's repertoire of one-pot wonders.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 kg mussels

• 3 tbsp golden rapeseed oil

• ½ tsp fennel seed

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 1 carrot, finely sliced

• 1 celery stalk, finely diced

• 1 small bulb fennel,  finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped

• 100g chorizo, finely diced

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 150ml white wine

• 2x 400g tins of chopped tomato

• 300ml fish or vegetable stock

• Sea salt

• Cracked black pepper

Method

1. Begin by cleaning the mussels.

2. Fill a large bowl with water and add the mussels to the water.

3. Using a small paring knife, remove any barnacles from the shells and the beard of the mussel.

4. The beard is what the mussel uses to attach itself to the surface of which it grows.

5. Rinse the cleaned mussels in a colander and refrigerate until just before cooking.

6. Place a large heavy-based pot on medium heat.

7. Drizzle in the rapeseed oil and warm before adding the fennel seeds. Fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

8. Next, add the onion, carrot, celery and fennel

9. Season with a little sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and sweat to soften. Cook until the onions, fennel and celery are translucent, 7-8 minutes.

10. Add the minced garlic and chopped rosemary and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid catching.

11. Add the finely diced chorizo and cook for 3-4 minutes before adding the smoked paprika.

12. Turn the heat up to high and add the white wine, bring to the boil and reduce until syrupy.

13. Add the chopped tomatoes and stock of your choosing and bring to the boil before reducing the heat to medium and simmering gently for about 10 minutes.

14. Turn the heat back up to high and add the cleaned mussels to the pot. </p><p>Cover with a tight-fitting lid and give the pot a good shake once the mussels have been added.

15. Cook covered for 3 minutes undisturbed.

16. Remove the lid and give the soup a good mix, all the mussels should be cooked at this stage. Discard any that haven’t opened.

17. Taste to correct seasoning and serve in warm bowls with fresh herbs.

Fish tales

· Mussels should only be cooked when alive so discard any that have cracked shells or do not close when tapped. They should smell fresh and of the seaside.

· Store cleaned mussels in the refrigerator with a damp tea towel on top.

· Mussels are naturally high in salt so season cautiously.

· Swap chorizo for n'duja or sobrassada or omit completely for pescatarians. Add an extra teaspoon of smoked paprika and a pinch of red chilli flakes if doing so.

· This soup would also be great with cockles or clams or a mixture of all three.

· If you’d like to make part of this soup ahead of time, follow the recipe up until the addition of the tomatoes and allow to cool. Bring back to the boil before adding the mussels.