Coquinas is a truly healthy delicacy, light and delicious, that is brilliant as a tapas, snack, starter or as the crown with any shellfish main course. It also goes well together with a healthy lifestyle, its rich in Folate (b-vitamin), B12, Selenium, Chromium & Protein.

Therefore, I thought that this recipe has the perfect timing, just after the holiday season, where most people are looking to get back in shape.
The Coquina mussel lives in shallow water, especially in the Cadiz and Huelva area right here in Andalucía, which gives us the pleasure of one of our local products.

What’s keeping many people from making all the wonderful recipes with this mussel (and other species) is that they often come across an unpleasant experience, if they don’t get them cleaned properly…crunches of sand between the teeth. My dearest advice, spend the time getting them cleaned  nicely before use & here it goes:

After thoroughly cleaning the fresh shells with running cold water, put them in a large surface bowl & cover with cold salty-water, approx. 20 gram of salt per liter of water. If possible, put the mussels in only one layer, to make sure that the mussels don’t blow sand to those below.

Change the water after 15 minutes & be careful to separate the Mussels from the sand. Repeat this process as many times as necessary, until there no more sand on the bottom of the bowl, then rinse again with normal cold water & you’re ready to do magic in the kitchen.

Coquinas 4 persons

1 kg. fresh Coquinas
6 cloves ​​Garlic in slices
2 Shallots Onions, fine cut
1 shot of your favorite Virgin Olive Oil
1 big spoonful Butter
The juice from ½ Lemon
Fresh chopped Parsley
Maldon flake Salt & Pepper to taste
1 glass of Champagne or Cava & also one glass for the chef in action
 
Make a one-minute Sauté of the Garlic & Shallots in the Olive Oil in a frying pan at a medium-high temperature. Add the Mussels, which will quickly start to open, the Champagne & Lemon Juice and let the liquid reduce by half. Before serving, and this dish is done in only few minutes, add butter and parsley and season with a little salt and pepper. Be careful with the salt as the mussels are salted naturally.

Coquinas are quite different from most of the white mussels, they have a nice dark blue shell inside that only appears when they open. A wonderful & tasty delicacy and remember that this recipe naturally can be used for other kinds of mussels.

If you’re brave, try to make a hot & spicy variation… add one fresh Red Chili in slices together with the Garlic and try with freshly Chopped Coriander instead of Parsley.

Have fun & enjoy life

Helle Barlebo
Chef of Chili Gourmet Catering