Recipe by Thomasina Miers for mussels with confit tomato sauce and picada ancho and almonds | The new flexitarian
We're lucky in the UK because we're never far from the sea. Mussels are one of the least impacting seafood we can farm: grown on ropes all over the UK, they're cheap, require no chemical input, absorb carbon dioxide and purify seawater. Plus, they're incredibly nutritious – full of essential vitamins and minerals – and , of course, delicious. Here I made a rich tomato sofrito to coat them in flavor and added some va-va-voom with a nutty flavored ancho picada.
Moulds confit tomato and ancho and almond picada sauceAncho is a mild, round, medium-hot red chili pepper from Mexico, available online and in major supermarkets.
Preparation 30 minCooking 45 minFor 4 people
2kg of mussels100ml of olive oil2 white onions, peeled and finely chopped2 stalks of celery, finely choppedSalt and black pepper4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped2 400g tins of Italian tomatoes, 2 tsp crushed sherry vinegar 250ml dry white wine
For the picada1 ancho pepper80g blanched almonds, toasted 1 slice of good bread 1 large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and coarsely chopped
Rub the mussels under cold running water: gr Atch barnacles and remove zig-zag barbs (discard any that have broken mussels or don't close when tapped on the counter).
Do Heat three tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and when it sizzles, add the onions and celery, season and sweat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for a few more minutes, then add the tomatoes and vinegar. Cook for 15 minutes while you prepare the picada.
Discard the seeds and stem of the ancho pepper, then soak the flesh in a little boiling water for 15 minutes, until tender. Toast the almonds in a dry pan, then pour them into a food processor. Pour a tablespoon of oil into the almond pan and fry the bread until golden brown. Add the bread, drained chilli and half of the parsley to the food processor and blend into coarse rubble. a lid over high heat and, when smoking, add a tablespoon of oil, then the mussels and wine. Cover and steam for three or four minutes, until the mussels have fully opened (discard any that remain closed). Stir half of the picada into the tomato sauce, then pour in the cooked mussels. Pour the juices from the mussels and wine through a sieve into the tomato mixture, then pour into deep bowls and serve with an extra picada, a sprinkle of parsley and some good bread to mop up the rich sauce.
The single flex class
We're lucky in the UK because we're never far from the sea. Mussels are one of the least impacting seafood we can farm: grown on ropes all over the UK, they're cheap, require no chemical input, absorb carbon dioxide and purify seawater. Plus, they're incredibly nutritious – full of essential vitamins and minerals – and , of course, delicious. Here I made a rich tomato sofrito to coat them in flavor and added some va-va-voom with a nutty flavored ancho picada.
Moulds confit tomato and ancho and almond picada sauceAncho is a mild, round, medium-hot red chili pepper from Mexico, available online and in major supermarkets.
Preparation 30 minCooking 45 minFor 4 people
2kg of mussels100ml of olive oil2 white onions, peeled and finely chopped2 stalks of celery, finely choppedSalt and black pepper4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped2 400g tins of Italian tomatoes, 2 tsp crushed sherry vinegar 250ml dry white wine
For the picada1 ancho pepper80g blanched almonds, toasted 1 slice of good bread 1 large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and coarsely chopped
Rub the mussels under cold running water: gr Atch barnacles and remove zig-zag barbs (discard any that have broken mussels or don't close when tapped on the counter).
Do Heat three tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and when it sizzles, add the onions and celery, season and sweat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for a few more minutes, then add the tomatoes and vinegar. Cook for 15 minutes while you prepare the picada.
Discard the seeds and stem of the ancho pepper, then soak the flesh in a little boiling water for 15 minutes, until tender. Toast the almonds in a dry pan, then pour them into a food processor. Pour a tablespoon of oil into the almond pan and fry the bread until golden brown. Add the bread, drained chilli and half of the parsley to the food processor and blend into coarse rubble. a lid over high heat and, when smoking, add a tablespoon of oil, then the mussels and wine. Cover and steam for three or four minutes, until the mussels have fully opened (discard any that remain closed). Stir half of the picada into the tomato sauce, then pour in the cooked mussels. Pour the juices from the mussels and wine through a sieve into the tomato mixture, then pour into deep bowls and serve with an extra picada, a sprinkle of parsley and some good bread to mop up the rich sauce.
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