DYP® Mussel Stew

Here’s a warming shellfish stew recipe submitted by Melissa’s in-house Nutritionist, Natalie Rodriquez. This dish will hit the spot on a chilly day and bring back fond culinary memories for anyone who has ever enjoyed a bowl of San Francisco Cioppino with a slice of local sourdough to soak up the sauce! Full disclosure, Natalie’s dish had me from the start since my own childhood included a weekly Friday night meal at one of the eateries along San Francisco’s famed Fisherman’s Wharf.

“This is a beloved recipe that Johnny, then boyfriend / now husband, and I made when we were still dating,” Natalie recalled. “I’m a huge fan of all kinds of seafood, so Johnny had a wonderful idea of making a mussel stew inspired by the San Francisco famous cioppino. This dish features mussels and shrimp, but my favorite part is the finely diced potatoes. They turn this into the ultimate comfort food that is great to have on a cold day. And, for us, it’s a special dish that we still serve on our own “date nights” – try it with a glass of chilled white wine!”

The fine-diced Baby Dutch Yellow® Potatoes in the dish really do add a comfort food factor to the mix that has now been snowstorm tested! While a true Cioppino is more tomato dominant, Natalie’s stew has a lighter flavor shape that still gives a nod to her stew’s Italian heritage with the inclusion of some basil, garlic and just a sprinkling of tomato; both fresh and dried. Still, for my money, the optimum flavor of this dish depends on the tiny pieces of buttery potato that have absorbed all those tasty accents and then meet up with one (or both) of the shellfish on a spoon! To that end, think very finely diced cubes about 1/8” square for the more-per-spoon factor! I believe this cut of the potato is key to the full flavor potential of this dish; larger chunks of potato would change the profile of this dish entirely. Of course, the shrimp and mussels each bring very different flavors to each bite. So, it’s a very warming dish with multiple combinations of flavors to the bottom of the bowl!

Natalie’s recipe reflects her own busy household and schedule – easy to prepare, serves two! Tweak the measures for more servings; the preparation can be broken down into three quick steps. For this dish, it is suggested that all the ingredients be prepared, measured, and organized in advance to facilitate a speedy and seamless preparation. That is: (a) sauté the potatoes, (b) add in the mussels and seasonings, (c) add wine, stock, and shrimp. Done! In fact, the flavors of this delicious dish lingered on my palate longer than it took to prepare!

If pressed for a title, Natalie says that it is officially Corporate Nutritionist but added that there are a few sub-titles that the role entails. She is also a Project Manager, Food Regulatory and Label Compliance Specialist as well as a member of the Graphic Design team when her input is needed.

“My daily role varies. When nutrition is of focus, I will spend time researching the latest nutrition research, writing health benefits and attributes for our fresh produce products to create nutrition facts panels. When I am wearing my Project Manager hat, I work with outside vendors about new or existing items, gathering all the materials from them needed to create food labels and packaging. I then work with our graphic designers with that information. As a food regulatory and label compliance specialist, I stay up to date with all FDA labeling laws and ensure all materials (food packages/labels, marketing materials, website information, etc.) are compliant. I get to learn something new almost every day, whether that’s learning about a new fruit or veggie I’ve never heard of, a new law going into action, seeing graphic designers create beauty from a blank canvas, and so much more. I’d say this all falls under interesting…it keeps my job and day-to-day interesting.”

This is Natalie’s second recipe submission to this blog, so a few things should be updated since that last appearance back in 2020. Firstly, that last recipe was turned in under her maiden name! Back then it was 10 years and counting; she and Johnny have since made it official. Canine's best friend, Tinkerbell, is still going at 14, though she needs more care. She obviously survived the second skydive jump that she was planning at the time, as well as her other focus back then, which was improving her culinary skills. This DYP® Mussel Stew certainly gives witness to an obvious tasty expansion of her culinary repertoire. I look forward to a three-peat in a few years!

The couple still enjoy the outdoors, including hiking and camping. Natalie says she has been reading a lot and recently discovered one of the true jewels of our time – the local libraries in the area. They also enjoy finding fun weekend happenings to attend, like a 1920s-themed event, for instance, maybe a play or concert. Music came back around when asked: Choose a famous person from the history or present day to share this dish with at your own dinner table.

“Oh, that’s an easy one for me. I would have to invite Sara Bareilles. She has been my favorite singer for many years. I have been a fan from her early pop star days to her recent musical on Broadway. I just love everything she puts out. THE perfect evening would be just the two of us sharing great food, some laughs and maybe even singing together!”

Sorry Johnny, best to make other plans that night – grab some stew before you go!

DYP® Mussel Stew
2-3 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Baby Dutch Yellow® Potatoes, peeled, dice 1/8-inch cubes (brunoised)
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Sun-Dried Julienne Tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, cut into long, thin strips (chiffonade)
¼ cup tomatoes, medium diced
1 oz lemon juice
1 pound of whole mussels, shells cleaned of outer debris
¼ pound of shrimp 16-30 count
½ cup white wine
½ cup seafood stock (option veg stock)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Add olive oil to a large, deep pan on medium heat and heat until the oil has a slight shimmer. Add potatoes to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until slightly tender, then add garlic and sundried tomatoes and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).

Add in and combine the basil, tomatoes, lemon juice, and mussels. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Deglaze pan with white wine and seafood (or vegetable) stock and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a hard simmer. Cover and let steam for 3 minutes, then add shrimp and let cook for another 2-3 minutes. Shut off heat. Add butter to the pan and mix until it is emulsified and incorporated. Salt to taste.

Spoon into a bowl and serve with sourdough bread, if desired.