Prince Edward Island Mussels Recipe

Clean mussels

Rinse the mussels under cold running water. Discard any with cracked shells or that do not close when tapped. Remove any beards by pulling toward the hinge. Set mussels in a bowl in the refrigerator while you make the broth.

When the broth is ready, add the mussels to the pot, cover, and steam for 4–6 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until most mussels have opened. Discard any that remain closed. Stir in the butter, chopped parsley, and lemon juice; taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the diced chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, 3–4 minutes until it is starting to render fat and brown. If the chorizo is very fatty, remove excess fat leaving about 1 tbsp in the pan.

Add the chopped shallot and cook 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the sliced garlic, chilies, and red pepper flakes and cook another 1–2 minutes until aromatic but not burned. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Push the chorizo and aromatics to the side of the pan and, if needed, add the tomato paste; cook the tomato paste 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly so it caramelizes slightly — this deepens flavor.

While cooking the chorizo, place the saffron threads in 2 tablespoons hot water and let them bloom for 5 minutes to release color and aroma.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken or fish stock, bloomed saffron with its liquid, lobster shells (or chopped lobster meat), smoked paprika, sugar (if using), salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and reduce heat to medium-low.

Simmer the broth, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes to meld flavors and concentrate the sauce slightly. If using lobster shells, after simmering 15 minutes, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve back into the pot, pressing on solids to extract flavor; discard solids and return strained broth to the pot. If using chopped lobster meat, leave it in the broth.

Taste and adjust seasoning — add more salt, a pinch of sugar, or a squeeze of lemon if needed. If the broth seems too thick, thin with up to 1/4 cup additional stock.

Add the cleaned mussels to the simmering broth (see 'Mussels & Finish'), cover, and steam 4–6 minutes until opened.