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Mussels & Corn in a Spicy Tomato Broth

Megan Clawson
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients
  

  • 3 ears fresh corn on the cob
  • 1 Tbsp EVOO
  • ¼ pound thick-sliced pancetta - diced into small cubes (about ¼ in.)
  • 1 small red onion - diced
  • 2 garlic cloves - chopped
  • 1 - 3 Divina Calabrian Chili peppers - coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups assorted tomatoes - heirloom, cherry, grape, etc.
  • 1 cup dry white wine - try the Langhe Arneis
  • 24 mussels - scrubbed
  • 2 Tbsp butter - plus more for bread
  • 1 Tbsp chives - chopped
  • Crusty bread - for dipping

Instructions
 

  • Roast corn cobs in a dry cast iron pan over medium-high heat, rotating around until some kernels begin to get charred, about 8 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, slice the kernels off the cob and set aside.
  • Wipe out the pan and return to medium-low heat. (You may need to keep the pan off the heat for a few minutes to cool down.) 
  • Add EVOO, cubed pancetta, and diced red onion and cook over medium-low heat until the fat starts to render and the onions become translucent about 5 minutes.
  • Add the chopped garlic and Calabrian peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add in the tomatoes, chopping larger ones and cook until they start to burst and release their juices, an additional 4 minutes.
  • Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up the bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
  • Before you add the mussels, discard any that won’t close. Gently add into the pan, along with two tablespoons of butter.
  • Cover the pan and simmer until the mussels begin to open, about 5-7 minutes. Discard any mussels that don’t open. Pour corn kernels back into the pan and gently stir to combine.
  • Serve out of the cast iron pan, or place a few mussels in a shallow bowl and spoon corn and broth over the top.
    Garnish with fresh chopped chives and serve with lots of crusty bread and butter.

Notes

*This recipe is very scalable, serving 2 - 4 as is. If you have more people, get more mussels. If you need to add more, bump up the wine by a half a cup. Or if you’d rather save the wine for drinking, add a half cup extra of water instead.