Mussels and Chorizo

This recipe is great cooked outside on the barbecue or over a fire. Leave out the chorizo for a pork-free dish.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Garlic Chips

2 bulbs of garlic

1 cup canola oil

Mussels

2 lbs PEI mussels

¼ cup confit garlic

¼ cup garlic oil

2 cups leek

½ bottle of riesling

½ cup heavy cream

3 oz dry-cured chorizo

¼ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley

For the garlic chips

Peel garlic and place the cloves into a small pot.
Cover it with canola oil, completely submerging the cloves.
Simmer on low heat stirring occasionally, until the garlic cloves are soft and light brown.
Remove the pot from the heat, let it cool, and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

For the mussels

Wash the mussels and pull the beards off. Discard.
Add the garlic confit and oil to a large saucepan on medium-high heat.
Add the leeks, and sauté until they start to soften and brown slightly.
Add the mussels to the pan, stir and add the Riesling.
Cover the pan and allow the mussels to steam.
Once the mussels have all opened remove them from the pan into a bowl. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
Add the heavy cream and chorizo to the pan and bring that to a boil.
Season to taste, add the mussels back to the pot, and stir.
Turn off the heat, pour the mussels back into a bowl, garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy.