Smoked Mussel Tapenade

This smoked mussel tapenade is a savory delight, heaped upon toasted bread or even stirred through hot pasta. The mussel flavor is subtle but super tasty!  

We’ve been spoiled this year from mid-August through mid-November because, staying in the Channel Islands, the most delightful mussels cooked with garlic and cream are available at many restaurants. The island’s own farmed stocks were much depleted by an invasion of spider crabs (Who knew that spider crabs are a natural predator for mussels? Not me!) but the Scottish mussels substituted were wonderful. 

We are back in Houston now and while there are fresh mussels nearby, they are a larger variety than we are fond of. We like ‘em small, truth be told. 

So, for this month’s Fish Friday Foodies challenge with mussels as the main ingredient, I decided to go a different direction and use canned ones. I found a few recipes online that were easily adaptable and sounded tasty. And then I went to three supermarkets and couldn’t find smoked mussels in any of them. 

Trader Joe’s to the rescue! An internet search – which I admit I should have done in the first place – said that Trader Joe’s has smoked mussels so I called my nearest one. The lovely person who answered the phone actually went to look and reported back that, indeed, he had smoked mussels on the shelf. When I told him that he was wonderful, he joked, “Wait a sec while I get my wife on the line so you can tell her.” Never mind his wife, I hope his employer appreciates him! 

Smoked Mussel Tapenade

This recipe is adapted from one on Wendi’s AIP Kitchen. Nonpareil capers are the little small ones. If you are using larger capers, you might want to use more than 1 tablespoon because of the space between them as you measure. 

Ingredients

3 1/2 oz or 100g (about 30-32) oil-cured olives (Pits still in are better!)

2 cloves garlic, chopped roughly

1 can (4.02oz or 114g) lightly smoked mussels in extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon nonpareil capers

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions (just the green part) plus extra for garnish

Method

Pit the olives with an olive pitter or by hitting them with the flat side of a large knife on a cutting board and pulling the pit free. I suggest you count the olives and then count the pits afterwards. You do not want to leave a pit in an olive. 

Drain the olive oil off of the mussels and reserve two tablespoons of it. 

Place the olives, garlic, drained mussels, capers, lemon juice and most of the green onions (reserve a small amount for garnish) in a mini food processor along with the reserved two tablespoons of olive oil from the mussels. 

Process, scraping down the bowl as needed, until you get a chunky spread. 

Remove to a serving bowl or ramekin and garnish with the reserved green onions. 

Serve at room temperature on toast. Delicious! This would be a great appetizer with a crisp white wine or chilled beer. We ate it heaped on the toast for lunch! So good. Leftovers were tossed with hot buttered pasta. Divine.

Enjoy!

It’s the third Friday of the month so it’s time for my Fish Friday Foodies to share seafood recipes. As mentioned above, our main ingredient/theme this month is mussels. We are small but mighty this month. Check out the links below. Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. 

• Creamy Garlic Mussels and Spaghetti from Palatable Pastime
• Garlic and Herb Steamed Mussels from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mussels with White Wine and Garlic from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Smoked Mussel Tapenade from Food Lust People Love

Would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.

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Chorizo Shrimp Corn Chowder #FishFridayFoodies

Spicy smoky chorizo and succulent shrimp are the best addition to a creamy corn chowder. Warm yourself up with a steaming bowl of chorizo shrimp corn chowder tonight.

Several years ago, I made a recipe from a friend and fellow blogger that had us ooo-ing and ah-ing. I saved the link and the instructions because I knew I’d want to make it again. But, of course, time and new recipes to try got in the way of that happening.

That delicious recipe came to mind again when I saw that the theme for this month’s Fish Friday Foodies was Out of the Shell and into the Pan. It was time to peel some shrimp! I switched out the bacon for some spicy smoky Spanish chorizo and used frozen corn instead of fresh. Oh, and I added cayenne because we really do like things spicy. But otherwise, this is very much like Susan made it originally.

Chorizo Shrimp Corn Chowder

Packed with flavor, this warming bowl of goodness is just the sort of comfort food we all need in chilly January.

Ingredients
8 1/2 oz or 240g hot and smoky chorizo, skin removed, diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 large potato
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 1/4 cups or 740g fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 cups or 720ml chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
a few good grinds black pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
12 1/4 oz or 347g jumbo shrimp (weight after peeling and deveining)
1 cup or 240ml whole milk

Method
In a Dutch oven or another thick-bottomed pot, cook your chorizo pieces over a medium heat, stirring often, until they are a little bit crunchy. They will release some gorgeous red oil. Tip in the chopped onion and bell pepper and lower the heat a little.

Sauté until the onion is translucent and the pepper has softened, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, peel and cube your potato and cover it with cool water in a small bowl, so it doesn’t turn brown.

Add the garlic to the pot and cook for a minute or so, then drain the water off of the potato and add it to the pot as well, stirring well.

Add the corn kernels to the mixture in the Dutch oven, then pour in the chicken stock. Season with the salt, black pepper and cayenne.

Bring the whole pot to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for about 25 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and allow to cool for a few minutes, uncovered.

Use a slotted spoon to remove about 2 cups of vegetables and chorizo from the pot.

Blend the rest using a hand blender or in batches in your blender.

Add the shrimp to the pot and put it back on the stove over a low heat. Cook for a few minutes or just until the shrimp are pink.

Add the removed vegetables back to the pot, the pour in the milk and stir well.

Heat through again. Taste the chowder and add more salt, black pepper and cayenne, if necessary.

Serve in bowls, making sure that each person gets a few of the shrimp. Garnish with some parsley or cilantro, if desired. Some toasted crusty bread for dipping is also a fine idea.

Enjoy!

Check out the other shellfish dishes we are sharing today. Many thanks to our host, Camilla of Camilla’s Cooking Adventures for this great theme.

An InLinkz Link-up

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