Heritage Day Mussel Pot Recipe

This Heritage Day we plan on inviting our family and friends around for a relaxed get together. A big pot of mussels, some crusty bread and a couple of bottles of  the trusty South African classic red – Roodeberg.

Whether you are lucky enough to gather your own mussels fresh from the rocks or obtain your stash from a local fish store, a mussel pot smacks of happy times and rekindling old friendships. Chef Mynhardt Joubert, whose culinary heart beats to the rhythm of heritage food, shares his deliciously creamy mussel pot recipe spiced up with Roodeberg red wine and the rich flavours of chorizo  This dish is best eaten with loads of freshly baked bread to lap up the sauce.

Serve it with a glass or two of the Roodeberg 2016 vintage … it’s aromatic layers of cranberries, spicy dry herbs and fruitcake with whiffs of cinnamon and dark chocolate. You’ll find it at your local bottle store for around R85 per bottle.

This serves four to six, takes around 20 minutes to prepare, and 45 minutes to cook

2 tablespoons of butter

2 onions chopped

120 g of sliced chorizo

5 cloves of grated garlic

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

250 ml of Roodeberg Red

250 ml of prepared fish or chicken stock

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

250 ml of cream

30 g of chopped fresh coriander

2 kg of fresh whole cleaned mussels

Heat up a large saucepan or pot and fry the onions and chorizo in the butter till golden brown.

Add the garlic and paprika. Stir through and fry for about 2 minutes.

Add the red wine, stock and the tinned tomatoes, bring to the boil and then turn down the heat to let it simmer and reduce by half.

Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels, bring the pot to a boil and remove from the heat, let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with crusty bread or pasta