RECIPE ESSENTIALS
- Serves: 2-4
- Cooking temperature: 250°C for wood, 200°C for gas
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Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 long cooking chorizo, or 4 small cooking chorizos
- 1 small white onion, thinly diced
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 700g jar of butter beans
- 300ml chicken stock
- 400g mussels, cleaned and beard removed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
- Olive oil, to serve
Method
If you’re cooking on wood, light your oven and aim for 300°C. Once the temperature has dropped down to 280°C, place a paella pan or skillet in the oven to heat up. If you’re cooking with gas, you need the oven to be 200°C.
Meanwhile, chop the chorizo into bite-sized chunks. Crush each garlic clove with the back of your knife to release the oils, but be careful not to break into small pieces.
Add the chorizo to the hot pan and fry to release the sweet, spicy oils. You want to build up good caramelisation and colour on the chorizo and the base of the pan. Once you have enough oil in the pan, add in the onions and garlic and stir until evenly coated. Place at the oven’s mouth (which should be the coolest part) and cook for a minute or two to soften, but don’t let the garlic burn.
Pour the butter beans, including the water they've been preserved in, into the pan and coat them in the intense orange oil. Once the liquid has evaporated, add half the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper.
Using your turning peel, gently slide the pan to a position at the back of the oven.
If cooking on wood, add a couple of medium-sized logs to keep the heat up.
Braise the beans until soft but not collapsing. You may need to add more stock to prevent the dish from drying out and burning. Add the mussels, so they sit proudly above the beans and add back to the oven.
Once the mussels start to pop open, remove. Let the pan rest for a few moments, then serve with a drizzle of olive oil and the chopped parsley.
