Saturday night Moules et Frites (recipe alert)

After our tasting at Create Joe and I stomped through the rain to do some shopping.  As well as picking up my dad's birthday present (which isn't until 15 November but I am super prepared) and getting me some new running shoes so that I am no longer a cripple (thanks Joe!!), we popped to the Kirkgate market for some treats!

We picked up some salmon, which I am curing to take with us to Wales next week with Frenchie Dog Eyes and Sam, bacon ribs (Joe's request) and mussels for a Saturday night treat.

The mussels were transformed into moules and chorizo in a spicy tomato broth, served with chips.  It's a seriously easy dinner which tastes amazing - see below for the recipe.

Cleaned Welsh mussels (in honour of their deserved victory this morning)

Chorizo

Our vino, which we have had a few times but only just worked out the joke in the title.  Doofuses.

Waitrose olives for a pre-dinner snack

Olive stuffed with green chilli (which did not taste of chilli - a little disappointing)

Our cocktail stick man

The dinner table

Frites (not home made I'm afraid - I'm a little scared of deep friers!)

Moules and chorizo with a spicy tomato broth

The moules - a close up!

And dessert...they are now all gone - fatties!

Moules with Chorizo (for two)

800g-1k live mussels, cleaned, beards removed and any dead ones discarded (if they are open, and don't close when tapped on a hard surface, chuck it - not worth the risk)
150g chorizo
2 tomatoes, with core removed and chopped
chilli
cumin
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
glass white wine
parsley, finely chopped
juice of half a lemon

1.  Remove any skin and chop the chorizo into 1cm square pieces.
2.  Put the chorizo in a pan on a low heat and cook down for about 10 minutes until the paprika oil has come out and the chorizo is lightly browned.
3.  Add the chilli (I used half a teaspoon of dried flakes but fresh would be fine), about half a teaspoon of cumin and the garlic.  Cook out for about 2 minutes and then add the chopped tomatoes.  Cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.  At this stage I threw in some frozen peas but these are optional!
4.  Add the mussels in to the pan along with the white wine and stir quickly through the sauce.
5.  Put a lid on the pan and cook at a moderate heat for 4 minutes (the sauce should be bubbling fairly quickly).
6.  After 4 minutes sprinkle over some chopped parsley and squeeze in the lemon juice.  Stir it in and then serve with frites or crusty bread and the rest of your white wine!