Tigres Stuffed Mussels

1hr 20 mins

6 people

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

60 mins

Total Time

1hr 20 mins

Tigres are a classic pintxo from Bilbao made from a stuffing mix made with onions, chopped fresh mussels, paprika and tomato, stuffed into the actual mussel shell, coated with a thick bechamel sauce, rolled in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown. Taberna baste in the old part of Bilbao, sells hundreds of these tasty pintxos every weekend and has been make them the same way for over 30 years.

Ingredients
Method

1kg large Scottish mussels, clean and beards removed
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 tbsp of olive oil
75g plain flour
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp spicy paprika
100ml tomato sauce
100ml cooking liquid from the mussels
Salt to taste
For the bechamel sauce:
500ml whole milk
100g butter
100g plain flour
½ onion, peeled
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
Salt and nutmeg to taste
For the pane mix:
100g plain flour
4 eggs
200g breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt to taste

For the mussel stuffing, place the mussels in a large pan with 50ml of water, cover with a lid and cook on a moderate heat until they open, about 3-4 minutes, drain and keep the cooking liquid aside. Be sure to discard any that do not open. Remove the cooked mussels from their shells and roughly chop the meat ready for the stuffing, keep the best-looking shells to stuff them. While the mussels cool down, heat the oil in a shallow casserole dish and gently cook the chopped onions for about 8-10 minutes until soft but with no colour. Add the paprika and stir for 30 seconds, add the flour and cook for 1 minute on a low heat. Add the tomato sauce, cooking liquid, chopped mussels and simmer for 5 minutes until thick. Season with salt and set aside.
For the bechamel sauce, gently bring the milk to the boil in a small saucepan with 1 halved onion, studded with 1 bay leaf and 2 cloves. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 mins. Melt the butter in another saucepan, then add the plain flour. Stir continuously until a paste forms – this is called a roux. Continue cooking for 2 mins. Remove the onion, bay and cloves from the milk with a slotted spoon and discard. Add the infused milk to the roux gradually, stirring as you go, until you get a smooth sauce. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and nutmeg to taste and set aside.
To stuff the mussel shells, use a spoon to fill each shell with the mussel stuffing and coat with ½ tablespoon of the thick bechamel sauce on top. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
Roll each mussel in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fry in the vegetable oil at 180°C for 3 minutes or until golden brown, make sure you keep on turning them whilst frying them. Serve with a cold beer.

Ingredients

1kg large Scottish mussels, clean and beards removed
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 tbsp of olive oil
75g plain flour
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp spicy paprika
100ml tomato sauce
100ml cooking liquid from the mussels
Salt to taste
For the bechamel sauce:
500ml whole milk
100g butter
100g plain flour
½ onion, peeled
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
Salt and nutmeg to taste
For the pane mix:
100g plain flour
4 eggs
200g breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method

For the mussel stuffing, place the mussels in a large pan with 50ml of water, cover with a lid and cook on a moderate heat until they open, about 3-4 minutes, drain and keep the cooking liquid aside. Be sure to discard any that do not open. Remove the cooked mussels from their shells and roughly chop the meat ready for the stuffing, keep the best-looking shells to stuff them. While the mussels cool down, heat the oil in a shallow casserole dish and gently cook the chopped onions for about 8-10 minutes until soft but with no colour. Add the paprika and stir for 30 seconds, add the flour and cook for 1 minute on a low heat. Add the tomato sauce, cooking liquid, chopped mussels and simmer for 5 minutes until thick. Season with salt and set aside.
For the bechamel sauce, gently bring the milk to the boil in a small saucepan with 1 halved onion, studded with 1 bay leaf and 2 cloves. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 mins. Melt the butter in another saucepan, then add the plain flour. Stir continuously until a paste forms – this is called a roux. Continue cooking for 2 mins. Remove the onion, bay and cloves from the milk with a slotted spoon and discard. Add the infused milk to the roux gradually, stirring as you go, until you get a smooth sauce. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and nutmeg to taste and set aside.
To stuff the mussel shells, use a spoon to fill each shell with the mussel stuffing and coat with ½ tablespoon of the thick bechamel sauce on top. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
Roll each mussel in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fry in the vegetable oil at 180°C for 3 minutes or until golden brown, make sure you keep on turning them whilst frying them. Serve with a cold beer.

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Chef's Profile

Javier De La Hormaza

Javier is a Basque born, trained chef and hospitality professional, owner of Basco Fine Foods, a Spanish food and drink importer based in Yorkshire. He regularly runs client food and drink events around the country and he is a course tutor at Hartingtons of Bakewell cookery school. Javier’s passion lies on bringing quality Spanish ingredients and recipes to as many people as possible.

Twitter: @bascofinefoods
Instagram: @mrbasco

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