Santiago Mussels

I discovered these wonderful tapas in a small bar in Santiago.  They served them free with a caña of Estrella Galicia beer.  Very easy and delicious!

Prep Time: 45 min.[PT45M]

Cook Time: 10 min.[PT10M]

Ingredients:

20 very fresh mussels in their shells, well cleaned
1 pinch of bittersweet pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

In a bowl, mix the finely chopped onion, parsley and garlic. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pimentón and pepper. Place the bowl in the refrigerator.

In a large pot, steam the mussels until they open, around 4 - 5 minutes. Remove immediately. Remove the meat from the mussels, being careful not to break into pieces. Add to the bowl with the other ingredients, gently covering the meat.

Thoroughly clean the interior of 1/2 of the mussel shells. When the mussels are chilled, about 10 minutes, scoop up each one with a little of the other ingredients and place them in their shells.

Serve on a platter sprinkled with parsley and a touch of paprika.

Recipe courtesy of Spain GourmeTour magazine.