Backstory
I had just finished a marathon of virtual meetings and my daughter asked if I could make them something for supper.
I love cooking for my family and generally I take my time over weekends in the kitchen inventing and reinventing menus. Total fun but not appropriate when you need to put dinner on the table in less than an hour.
I had seen a version of this recipe on a popular food channel and was keen to come up with my take on a mussel dish that could work for the diverse palette in our home. This dish requires just a handful of ingredients but packs huge amounts of taste and can come together within 30 minutes. The secret sauce with this version of a mussel pot is harissa red pepper paste… yep you heard me right … harissa paste.
I love this North African gift of a delicious blend of red peppers and aromatic spices. Like Berry it brings originality, elevation and comfort to a dish that has travelled through many, many tables for decades. Harissa paste has somewhat of a kick but my family who are not as adventurous in the spice cosmos clean their plates each time I make it, so I would like to think that it is manageable for most. Having said that though I would advise moderation if you are not into spicy food.
I love playing around with quantities to inject a touch of me in the dishes I make which by some miracle has worked superbly for me so far, so feel free to adjust to your food persona.
Happy cooking!
M
RECIPE
Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes | Serves: 4 – 5
What do you need to pull this taste miracle off?
1,5 kg of closed mussels
A jar of harissa red pepper paste
Two teaspoons of Crushed Garlic
Half a teaspoon of Oregano
A teaspoon of Mixed herbs
A tablespoon of Olive oil
A can of Chopped tomatoes
A tablespoon of Brown sugar
A teaspoon of Salt
How do you pull it all together?
Add garlic, herbs, olive oil and the paste into a pan
Heat slowly until nicely blended and cooked through
Should take about 3 minutes
Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for about 3 minutes
Add salt and sugar to manage the acidity and to create a balanced taste
Add the mussels, cover your pot and allow to simmer for 15 minutes
How do you serve it?
Serve with warm ciabatta rolls and yell supper is ready
So..I want to ask a question
Can I leave the sugar out?
Well. I guess you could if you don’t mind the acidic taste tomatoes bring to the party. Some like it tart I guess
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