Mussel Escabeche

This is a rustic Spanish tapas dish that can be prepared in advance. It is served chilled and perfect with a glass of beer or wine and crusty bread. I used the pacific black mussels for its meatiness. In a medium pot, add 60 ml of white wine, bay leaves and mussels. Cover and cook over medium heat.  As soon as mussels open, remove them. When cool, remove mussels from shells.  Strain and reserve the cooking liquid.

To make escabeche, heat olive oil, shallot, garlic, pinch of salt and saute until shallot is soft. Add vinegar, peppercorns, paprika, and remaining wine and simmer for about 5 minutes. When the escabeche is cool, stir in the mussels. Pour into a shallow dish, cover and refrigerate overnight.

NB: For a more spicy escabeche, add 1 dried chilli when making the escabeche.

Serves 4 Tapas Rations
750 g mussels
100 ml white wine
40 ml white wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
20 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
5 black peppercorns
Pinch of salt
Optional: 1 dried red chilli

I created a  mussel escabeche bruschetta with baked bell peppers (marinated in herbs infused olive oil) and black garlic over a slice of home made foccacia.

Black Mussels with Salsa and Chilli

The inspiration for this recipe comes from one of Nobu Matsuhisa's many mussel dishes. The mussels are steamed in small batches so that each one can be quickly removed as soon as the shells open. This retains the juices, and leaves the flesh nice and plump.

For the salsa, I use finely chopped onion, ponzu sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, garlic ginger paste and parsley. This salsa pairs really well with the barely cooked mussels. The red chilli slices give the mussels a spicy zing. The cold arrowroot noodles absorb the flavorful mussel liquor that spills on plate, and add texture to each mouthful.

I make a variation with this flavorful baked skinless red chilli that has been marinated in herb and olive oil for a week. Fresh whole red chilli has to be baked at 75 deg C for 8 hours before the delicate skin and seeds are carefully removed.

This is yet another variation, with melted mozzarella cheese, basil and tomato pesto.

Cream of Black Mussel Soup

It is not common to find black mussels in my country. When I came across imported live ones from Australia, I was all to happy to get it. The presentation for this recipe came from one of Alain Ducasse's cookbook. Personally, I do not like too much cream in my soup. I use lima beans (aka butter beans) and soy beans to give it a milky texture, and reduce the usual amount of heavy cream by seventy five percent. The fish stock and juices from the mussles make this soup extra ordinarily flavorful.