Catalan Mussels Recipe

Fresh mussels have their own distinctive flavour and they don't need much added to them to bring out their natural taste. Mussels and cockles are great for making starter recipes. Mussels steamed are great, as are mussels cooked in other ways. In this recipe, vinegar, lemon, oil and basil are used to add flavour and the natural mussell recipe taste shines through. This dish is best chilled overnight so allow plenty of time to do that. The onions, vinegar, tomato and more used in this recipe for Catalan mussels is a classic combination and if you want to make starter recipes with mussels this is a very good recipe to opt for. Mussels in tomato sauce are so good and everyone is sure to love this dish. As you probably know, Catalonia is a region in northeast Spain and seafood is very popular there.

Lemon Catalan Mussels Steamed with Garlic and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients -

1 kg mussels
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
1 small onion, peeled and finely sliced
250 g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces Salt

Preparation:

Wash and de-beard the mussels. Put them in a covered pot over a high heat for a couple of minutes until they open. Remove and strain. Take the mussels out of their shells, discarding any that haven't opened. Place them in a serving bowl.

Add the cherry tomato halves, onion slices and basil. Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar and pour over the mussels. Season and mix well. Cover the dish and chill overnight or for at least 2 hours. Serve with salad and flatbread.

Serves 4