Mussels Portuguese Style

All you need with this is a crusty, rustic bread and a green salad to make a delicious meal. Linguiça and chouriço are Portuguese-style sausages and they need to be cooked before using; linguiça is mild and chouriço is spicy. You can substitute any kind of sausage you like, but even if it comes precooked you will want to brown the slices first.

 

SERVES 4

 

Ingredients:

¼ pound Portuguese sausage; linguiça or chouriço

 

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 bay leaves

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

½ cup chopped red pepper

 

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 cup white wine

 

4 pounds fresh, cleaned live mussels (see Note)

 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

 

Freshly ground black pepper

 

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Instructions:

Cut the sausage crosswise into ⅜-inch-thick slices. Cook in a frying pan on medium heat until browned on both sides.

 

Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the mussels and add the bay leaves, garlic, onion and red pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften. Add the tomatoes, sausage and white wine, and simmer for 5 minutes. You can do this much ahead of time; just turn off the heat until you are ready to cook the mussels.

 

Add the cleaned mussels, cover, and turn the heat to high. The mussels will be done when they are all opened, and this will take 5 to 10 minutes. When you check them, do it quickly so as not to let steam escape since that will be needed to finish cooking them if they are not

quite ready.

 

Transfer the mussels to a serving bowl, pouring the cooking liquid with the sausage and vegetables over them. If any mussels have not opened, discard them. Sprinkle with parsley, cilantro, and black pepper.

 

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Note: To ensure they are fresh and safe to eat, mussels need to be purchased and kept alive until ready to be cooked. You can store them in the refrigerator, but keep in mind they also need air so make sure you open the bag or cut holes in it.

 

Just before you are ready to cook the mussels, clean them by rinsing each one under cold, running water, using a small knife to cut off the black beards or barnacles that may be attached to the shells. The live mussels will be tightly closed, so if any are open set them aside. If any have broken shells, discard them.

 

After you have finished cleaning, go back to the open ones and run them under cold water. If they close up, they are alive and safe to cook and eat. Discard any that remain open.