José Pizarro’s recipe for mussels with cider, chorizo and apple

Northern Spain on a plate: mussels with cider, apple and chorizo

Whenever I cook mussels, my mind goes straight to Galicia. Some of the best I’ve ever eaten have come from the waters around O Grove, a place I return to whenever I can, and one of my favourite restaurants there is D’Berto, where the seafood is treated with such respect that they barely do anything to it. This dish is like a dance across northern Spain: the mussels come from Galicia, the cider and apples from Asturias, and the region has its own wonderful tradition of smoky chorizo, which brings just enough warmth without overpowering the shellfish. Every ingredient has its place, and together they celebrate one of the most delicious corners of Spain.

Always check over your mussels. Give them a wash under cold running water, and discard any with cracked or broken shells. Any that are slightly open, give the hinge end a tap on a worktop and the mussel should contract and close; if it doesn’t close after about 30 seconds, discard. Pull off any beards and scrape off any worm or barnacle casts from the outside of the shells with a sharp knife.

1 tbsp olive oil 120g chorizo, diced 1 banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped 1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped 1kg cleaned live mussels 200ml dry cider 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley Crusty bread, to serve

Put the oil in a large pot for which you have a lid, heat it gently, then add the chorizo and fry, stirring, until it releases all its lovely oils. Add the shallot, apple and thyme, and fry, stirring, on a medium heat until the shallot is tender.

Turn up the heat to high, cook for 30 seconds or so, to make sure the mix is good and hot, then tip in the cleaned mussels and the cider; the latter should hiss when it hits the pan. Immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave to cook, shaking the pan once or twice, for a minute or two, until all the mussels have opened (discard any that refuse to).

Use a slotted spoon to scoop the mussels into a serving bowl or two individual bowls, bring the cooking liquid to a rapid boil and bubble hard for a minute, so it reduces and thickens slightly. Stir in the chopped parsley, then pour the lot over the mussels and serve with lots of crusty bread for mopping.

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