Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Bord Bia
I was walking through the city centre at lunchtime not too long ago and ended up in a seafood restaurant… by myself. I usually hate eating out alone but on this occasion the sun was shining, it lifted my mood and I just wanted to treat myself to a huge bowl of moules marinières with fries while sipping a glass of Picpoul. It’s the simple things, isn’t it?
The great thing about mussels though is that you don’t necessarily have to eat out to enjoy them, as they’re inexpensive and very easy to prepare at home. I’m delighted to take part in Bord Bia’s #FlexYourMussels campaign again this year and to be sharing this recipe for Spicy Mussels with Tomatoes and Chickpeas that I’m sure you’ll love.
This dish has some lovely Mediterranean flavours with ingredients like tomatoes, smoked paprika and basil, which pair beautifully with fresh Irish mussels. It’s a total winner for a lovely lunch or dinner that’s supper quick to rustle up.
Recipe
Spicy Mussels with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
Serve: 4 as a starter, 2 as a main
Serve: 4 as a starter, 2 as a main
Ingredients
- 1 kg mussels (scrubbed and de-bearded)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)
- 1 tbs smoked paprika
- 1 red chilli (finely diced)
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 125ml water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Handful of basil leaves,
- To serve: Sourdough toast
Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook, while stirring for five minutes or until soft.
- Add the smoked paprika and chilli and cook for another minute or two.
- Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, 125ml water, salt and pepper, turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Add the mussels, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, shaking the saucepan a few times until the mussels have opened. Discard any that have not opened.
- Sprinkle over the basil leaves and serve with sourdough toast.
Make sure to visit www.bordbia.ie/fish for tips on how to prepare mussels and more recipes like this one.