This mussels vinaigrette dish is a summertime staple at my grandmother’s house. It’s an easy appetiser to make ahead and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.
I’ve shared the basic recipe below. However, my grandmother’s version often includes chopped hardboiled egg, olives and tomatoes, as well as a raw egg yolk to thicken the vinaigrette.
Mejillones a la Vinagreta / Mussels Vinaigrette
A quick and easy summertime appetiser or snack
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pot with lid
- 1 Small paring knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Vegetable knife
Ingredients
Mussels
- 1 kg Mussels
- 2 tbs Salt
- Cold water
Vinaigrette
- 1/2 Medium onion
- 1/4 Green pepper
- 1/4 Red pepper
- 1/2 Medium tomato
- Olive oil
- White wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- Salt
Instructions
Cook the mussels
- Clean the mussels by using a small paring knife to scrape any bits from the surface and remove the beards. Discard any mussels that appear cracked or damaged
- Place mussels into a bowl of cold, heavily salted water and let soak for 1 hour
- After 1 hour, rinse mussels and place in a lidded pot with a bit of cold water
- Cover the pot and heat on medium-high until the mussels open
- Remove from pot and discard any unopened mussels
- Let cool enough to safely handle, and begin opening the mussels and detaching them from the shells
- Place mussels on half shell face up on a tray and store in fridge
Prepare the vinaigrette
- Finely chop the onion, green pepper and red pepper into small, uniform pieces
- In a bowl mix the oil, vinegar and salt to taste
- Add chopped vegetables and adjust seasoning. Store in the fridge until ready to serve
To serve
- Remove mussels and vinaigrette from the fridge
- Serve separately or prepare each mussel with a spoon-full of vinaigrette
