Trout with Tomato, Chorizo and Mussels

I don’t know about you but with the weather we’ve been having lately it’s been difficult to know what to expect.  One moment we’ve had snow and shivering temperatures and the next spring sunshine and flowers.  So what do we cook?  I don’t about you but I don’t want a hearty stew if I am enjoying the blue sky and admiring the daffodils,  nor do I want lighter spring-like meals if I an shivering away with snow outside.

A couple of weeks ago I watched the brilliant Spanish cook, Jose Pizarro, cook this dish.  It’s full of colour, big flavour and warmth and seems to perfectly fit whatever weather we have thrown at us: light enough for spring, warm enough for winter.  With my New Year Resolution to try and cook more fish this year it was my perfect answer.

Mussels cooked with white wine

This isn’t a complicated dish so if you aren’t used to cooking fish, please don’t be put off!   Dont be afraid of the mussels, or indeed any shellfish. If you’ve not prepared mussels before I promise it’s easy to avoid any risk of food poisoning which so many people worry about. Just make sure that before you cook the mussels they are all tightly closed and throw away any that aren’t. You will see this easily when you scrub the shells (though most mussels are pretty clean when you buy them these days) and debeard them (which simply means pulling off any bits the mussel has clamped onto) When you’ve cooked them simply throw away any that aren’t open. You can change the shellfish – clams or cockles perhaps – but the preparation rules are the same

If you can’t get, or don’t like trout, change the fish – it would work with most – though you may have to adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the fillet but a firm white fish or even mackerel would all work beautifully.

I think that as this is a rustic dish crusty bread is the ideal accompaniment as it is great to mop up the juices with.  Eat and relax and imagine Spanish holidays in the sun whilst this dish keeps you warm inside

PS  I drank this with a manzanilla sherry – get me – which really went well   It isn’t something I thought I’d ever do as I haven’t ever thought of mixing sherry and food in a main course but it really worked   The Spanish really do know a thing or two about flavour combinations!

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 400g/14oz mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 100ml/3½fl oz dry white wine
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 200g/7oz chorizo, (picante or mild) chopped into bite sized cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
• 2 trout fillets, pin-boned and skin on
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• crusty bread, to serve

Trout with tomato, chorizo and mussels

Method

1. Throw away any mussels with broken shells and any that refuse to close when tapped (see notes above)
2. Put the mussels, wine and 2 thyme sprigs in a large saucepan. Cover with a lid and cook on a high heat for 3–4 minutes until shells have opened.  Discard any mussels that remain closed and set aside the rest to cool in a sieve over a bowl
3. Pick over the mussels, discarding shells of all but 12 for presentation and keeping the cooking liquor separate.
4. Heat 2tbsps of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.  Add the chorizo. Cook for 2–3 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside keeping oil in pan
5. Add the onion, garlic and the remaining thyme to the pan and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally to stop onion catching.
6. Return the chorizo to the pan and pour in the tomatoes and the reserved mussel juices. Cook until reduced by half.
7. Stir in the mussels and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste
8. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Once hot, add the trout and fry on each side for 2 minutes, or until cooked through.
9. Divide the sauce between two warmed plates and top with a trout fillet. Serve immediately with the crusty bread.