Dinner – Cajun Mussels with Chorizo, Scallops, White Wine and Guacamole

From the title you’d think it decadent. It is. But it’s also nutritious. And I’m making enough to have it for breakfast in the morning with my eggs. I’ll eat the seafood in it tonight and the rest will go all jammy and yummy.

Most ingredients are organic.

Oh, the chicken jelly? A week ago I roasted a Milawa chook. Better to cook the whole thing. You get days worth of food out of it (like a hunter). I put a wedge of butter under the skin of each breast and a little olive oil in the roasting tray. When the chook is cooked I transfer it to a lovely snug cassoulet dish with lid and put immediately in the fridge on a board (so as not to crack the glass, of course). before I do so, however, I drain all the juices into a cup or jar and store that for things like this. I just scoop off the fat and voila! Sheer magic in concentrated chicken flavour.

EQUIPMENT
Your lovely heavy skillet. Very sharp knife. 2 big wood chopping blocks. You could, if you have one, do the entire thing in your Le Crueset, as I LOVE my big, red, round cassoulet dish. I can use it on and in the stove. Fork, spoon, big bowl, little bowl, lots of napkins cause it gets messy.

MAIN INGREDIENTS
500 grams fresh mussels
4 Tasmanian scallops
quarter a chorizo
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tin tomatoes
half a jalapeno chilli
4 button mushrooms
quarter red capsicum
half a medium zucchini
small handful of coriander leaves
small piece golden sweet potato
tablespoon chicken jelly
dry white wine
olive oil
good sprinkle of pre-mixed Cajun spices
full cream sour cream

METHOD
De-beard and wash the mussels well, put to the side in the colander
Then…
Dice the chorizo, add to oil in the pan over a low heat
Finely chop the onion, garlic, red capsicum, jalapeno chilli
Roughly chop the button mushrooms
Very finely dice the golden sweet potato
Chop up the zucchini and coriander
Put the lot in with the chorizo.
Stir that all in together, let it cook for 5 minutes
Add the 2 or three tablespoons Cajun spice mix
Add tomatoes, chick jelly and a glug of white wine.
Put a lid on that and let it render down for around 10/15 minutes till more concentrated.

While that’s cooking make the guacamole:

GUACAMOLE INGREDIENTS and METHOD
1 very ripe avocado mushed up in a bowl
Chuck in 1 grated garlic clove
1 small chopped tomato
a small handful parsley, finely chopped
juice of a quarter small lemon
half a teaspoon ground cumin
Mix it till smooth and put aside.

NOW…
Chop the scallops into quarters,
Add them and all the mussels to the brew
Cover and steam till the mussels open.

into a big bowl (have a smaller one for the discarded shells) dish up half the mixture and all the seafood. Can be enough to share with a buddy in the house cause they’ll want to, believe me.

Add a couple of dollops of guacamole (save the rest for tomorrow) and a desert spoon of sour cream. Top with a squeeze of lemon.

Leave the remainder in the pan till you’ve eaten then put it in a smaller bowl, in the fridge for breakfast.

Bon apetit! x

Update cause I have yet to work out how to add your images: From Caroline Sully (see replies)…

Well done you! x