in tomato and chorizo sauce with grilled prawns
This one is high on my list of favourites to both prepare and eat. It’s fantastic as a starter or as a main. Whenever fresh mussels are within reach, I can’t resist making this dish. Add a glass of white wine (New Zealand sauvignon blanc works beautifully) and you’ve got comfort food at its best.
The prawns aren’t strictly necessary, but they make the dish more attractive and special. And since you’re using your hands anyway, leave the shells on for a more interactive experience. Serve with fresh or toasted artisan bread (see my sun-dried tomato, roasted garlic & asiago bread recipes) to soak up the sauce. If you’re serving this as a main, a side of salted fries won’t hurt either.
Chef’s Notes
Precision Not Required
This is a “cook by feel” dish — adjust amounts to your liking. The mussels bring their own natural saltiness, so you rarely need extra salt.
Cilantro Tip
Use plenty of fresh cilantro and cook the sweet stems right in the sauce — it’s fantastic.
Cooking Vessel
Ideally, cook and serve in the same vessel. A deep, bowl-shaped pan with a lid is perfect. Enameled cast iron keeps it warm longer.
Heat Source
I use my BBQ side burner (searing element) for the whole dish, but watch the heat — the sauce can scorch. You can always finish on a lower BBQ element after bringing it to a boil.
Serving Style
Serve straight from the cooking pan for maximum visual appeal and heat retention.
Ingredients (Serves ~2 as a main or 4 as a starter)
- 3 lbs (1.36 kg) fresh mussels — washed and debearded just before cooking
- 1 large wine chorizo — sliced lengthwise into 4, then cut at an angle into small strips
- Prawns or large shrimp — ~2 per person (shell on for presentation)
- ½–1 cup white wine (more if you want it to taste good)
- Light olive oil — enough to cover the bottom of your pan
- 1 knob of butter (more if you want it to taste good)
- 1 can (28 oz / 796 ml) San Marzano tomatoes — do not substitute
- 1 sweet onion — chopped small
- 1 head of garlic — chopped (not pressed; chopped cooks easier without burning)
- 1–2 red Thai chillies — chopped fine (remove seeds for less heat)
- 1 bunch cilantro — chopped, separating leaves and stems (reserve a few leaves for garnish)
- ½ lemon — juice only, for squeezing over the finished mussels
Method
- Prep Everything First(~15 min)
- Wash and debeard mussels just before cooking.
- Chop onion, garlic, chilli, cilantro (separate stems from leaves), and slice chorizo.
- Have bread sliced and ready, and prawns prepped.
- Open wine (and pour yourself a glass).
- Crisp the Chorizo(~5 min)
- Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or rustic pan over medium-high.
- Add chorizo strips and stir-fry until crispy (about 5 min), stirring to avoid burning.
- Remove and set aside.
- Build the Sauce Base(~7 min)
- In the same pan, sauté onion for ~3 min, adding more olive oil if needed.
- Add knob of butter and let it melt.
- Add garlic and chilli; sauté ~1 min.
- Add cilantro stems; sauté ~3 min more.
- Deglaze & Add Tomatoes(~5 min)
- Increase heat to high; pour in white wine and cook ~1 min to reduce slightly.
- Add canned tomatoes (with juice) and break them up with a spoon.
- Return chorizo to the pan.
- Now’s a good time to light your BBQ/grill for the prawns so it’s ready when you need it.
- Cook the Mussels & Grill the Prawns Together(~6 min)
- Bring sauce to a lively simmer.
- Add mussels, cover with a lid, and cook 4–6 min, shaking pan occasionally, until mussels have opened (discard any that remain closed).
- While mussels are steaming: grill prawns over high BBQ heat for ~1 min per side until pink and just cooked through.
- Finish & Serve(Serve immediately)
- Squeeze lemon juice over mussels.
- Sprinkle with reserved cilantro leaves.
- Arrange grilled prawns on top.
- Serve straight from the cooking vessel with bread (and maybe fries) for soaking up the sauce.
The timing overlap here means once the mussels and prawns are done, you’re plating (or rather, pan-ing) and serving within seconds — everything is hot, fresh, and ready.