Mejillones a la vinagreta / Mussels - Tapas of the week
by Ben Curtis
What in the name of Don Juan is that? Why is it that alien-yellow colour? And what terrible things did I do in a previous life to deserve another plate of these with my beer? These are the kind of thoughts that pass through my head when a waiter is cruel enough to push a dish of Mejillones a la vinagreta across the counter at me with my drink.
This is when an important Spanish bar etiquette question arises: can you ask to change free tapas that you would no sooner eat than fly to a distant planet that shares their same radioactive colour? Well, it’s always worth a try, a polite ‘puedo cambiar la tapa por otra cosa, es que no me gusta…‘ usually yields something slightly more comestible… unless you’re with someone that actually appreciates these things, in which case you’re stuffed - Marina always eats mine and claims to love them. Apparently the mussels are boiled, one half of the shell is removed, then a vinaigrette including chopped up onion, green pepper, and tomato is poured on top.
Well, first the sardines and tomato, now this. Spanish waiters have really got it in for me these days. I promise to find something I can rave about for next week’s tapas!
Posted: April 19th, 2007 under Spanish Food and Drink, Tapas of the week.
Comments: 36
Comments
Comment from Stuart
Time: April 19, 2007, 4:08 pm
I am shaking my head… I have a look of horror on my face…
Ben, with your taste in food, you disgust me as much as these disgust you! 
Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: April 19, 2007, 4:15 pm
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ll take your seafood tapas off of you Ben if Marina ain’t available.
Comment from Edith
Time: April 19, 2007, 5:19 pm
I’m not a real fan, but I will eat mussels in paella, so I wouldn’t mind giving this tapa a try.
@ Ben, you should never go to Japan!
Comment from Stuart
Time: April 19, 2007, 6:10 pm
ValenciaSon,
http://enperu.blogsyte.com/files/images/mejillones.jpg
Mejillones + Jugo del Limónes Peruanos + Cebollas + Ají = 
Comment from Graeme
Time: April 19, 2007, 6:55 pm
The most you get in a lot of places in Madrid these days is some stale crisps; you’re turning your nose up at sardines, mussels and caterpillar sandwiches! Some people just don’t appreciate what they have.
Comment from Jon Hundt
Time: April 19, 2007, 7:26 pm
Ben, you whiner… remind us again what sort of free tapas they used to give you back in England.
In the States they don’t do tapas; some bars give free peanuts. Old fashioned bars - like where my ma used to take me - had a pretty good selection of free warm dishes in the afternooon (funny enough, I can’t remember the name of this kind of snack..) But I suppose that is all over these days.
Comment from Edith
Time: April 19, 2007, 9:10 pm
Fish and seafood: the people from Okinawa thrive on this sort of stuff. As a matter of fact, their average life expectancy is about the longest in the world!
Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: April 19, 2007, 10:31 pm
IO know of some bars in the US that will have a free buffet of like chicken wings, wontons, pretzels and other simple snacks during happy hour which usually runs from 5-7PM.
Comment from Rebecca NYC
Time: April 19, 2007, 10:49 pm
Call me crazy but Ben’s description of this tapa actually sounded appetizing!
Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: April 19, 2007, 11:58 pm
It is unless you don’t have a liking to seafood.
Comment from Ben
Time: April 20, 2007, 6:20 pm
Jon Hundt - as soon as I get a decent photo of a croquetta I’ll stop whining and start raving!
Comment from Edith
Time: April 20, 2007, 10:06 pm
Ah, a croqueta filled with jamón serrano…………!!!!! Yes please!!!
Comment from Simon
Time: April 20, 2007, 11:10 pm
I wouldn’t be changing this tapa at all. The only thing I might change is from a cerveza to a vino blanco .
Comment from Jon Hundt
Time: April 21, 2007, 8:02 am
fair enough Ben - post that croquetta pic and we’ll forget all about this little incident. Maybe you can post the recipe too….
Is a A Spanish croquetta related to a Dutch croquette by any chance?
Comment from Edith
Time: April 21, 2007, 5:43 pm
@ Jon, I don’t think so because they use jamón serrano in Spanish croquetas. Ours are made with veal or beef. BTW, I only like Van Dobben or Kwekkeboom - won’t settle for anything else.
Delicious, on a bum with lots of roomboter….!!!
Comment from Jon Hundt
Time: April 21, 2007, 6:59 pm
Edith - Kwekkeboom and van Dobben are indeed delicious enough on a bun - but on a BUM ! I imagine even better!!…. …we also have a very high opinion of these two. But my favorite is the FEBO Special rundvlees, taken from one of those little automat windows… that sucker is just dripping with grease and great flavor!
Comment from Edith
Time: April 22, 2007, 1:49 am
FEBO… 
:D :D
Comment from Edith
Time: April 22, 2007, 1:50 am
OOps, did I realy write BUM? :D :D
Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: April 22, 2007, 12:41 pm
Don’t forget, you are what you eat
Comment from Edith
Time: April 22, 2007, 8:46 pm
That blooper is a gem! I will save it for future reference.
Comment from Matthew
Time: April 23, 2007, 8:25 am
I think mussels are great. In Murcia one of people’s favourite tapas is called ‘tigre’ - which is not a tiger but fried, spicy, battered mussel in a tasty sauce.
Comment from Pete
Time: April 23, 2007, 12:40 pm
Los tigres estan buenisimos!! I think this could be a good dish if you don’t particularly enjoy the look of mussels. The meat is chopped up and fried with onion and garlic, added to a white sauce, put back in the shell, covered in breadcrumbs and fried, giving them a beautiful orange and black colour …hence Tigre!
Comment from Marina
Time: April 24, 2007, 2:16 pm
I love tigres!!! Possibly I can write about a bar that serves very good tigres as soon as I go there and take a picture… and of course eat the whole plate as for sure Ben won’t try them.
A good reason to eat mussels is that they have a big content of iron and are often eaten by people with tendency to anaemy.
Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: April 24, 2007, 11:00 pm
Marina, que significa “anaemy”?
Comment from Stuart
Time: April 25, 2007, 1:45 am
she meant anaemia
Comment from Marina
Time: April 25, 2007, 9:53 am
Sorry anemia.
Según familydoctor.com “La anemia ocurre cuando su sangre no tiene suficiente hemoglobina. La hemoglobina es una proteína dentro de sus glóbulos rojos que transporta oxígeno desde sus pulmones hacia el resto del cuerpo. Una causa común de anemia es no tener una cantidad de hierro suficiente. Su cuerpo necesita hierro para fabricar hemoglobina.”
Comment from Edith
Time: April 25, 2007, 6:07 pm
@ Marina
¿Las gambas también contienen mucho hierro? Lo pregunto porque no como carne todos los días y por eso, hace falta de un sustituto que contiene una cantidad suficiente de este sustancia.
Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: April 26, 2007, 2:54 am
Gracias a Marina y Stuart. Ahora no estare anemico
Comment from Pete
Time: April 26, 2007, 11:19 am
Edith - has probado Guinness, tambien es un buen fuente de hierro pero no creo que lo encuentres en familydoctor.com… jeje
Comment from Edith
Time: April 26, 2007, 3:37 pm
@ Pete
Guinness, ¿de verdad? Qué sorpresa. ¡Me encantan las cervezas especiales pero también trato de adelgazar un poco, y como sabes la cerveza contiene muchas calorías!
Comment from Marina
Time: May 1, 2007, 8:43 pm
Hola Edith,
La verdad es que no tengo ni idea de si las gambas tienen hierro. La idea de Pete es muy apetecible, pero si prefieres una opción más “sana” y aburrida puedes comer lentejas o espinacas.
Pingback from Croquettas - Tapas of the week - Notes from Spain: Travel, Living in Spain, Podcasts, Forum and Photos
Time: May 2, 2007, 9:20 am
[...] Now this is much much more like it! Enough of all those strange-looking seafood tapas, give me a good old croquetta any day! Croquettas are made of a thick bechamel usually containing flecks of serrano ham (though chicken, fish and meat croquettas are also common), coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried. They are a meal in themselves (if you eat enough of them of course), and though they are rarely handed over for free with drinks, a plate of half a dozen will cost around 7 to 10 euros in restaurants and bars. [...]
Comment from Edith
Time: May 3, 2007, 8:34 pm
Hola Marina,
Las recetas con espinaca me encantan, es una de mis verduras favoritas.
De vez en cuando hago una ensalada vegetariana con lentejas, queso azul, una cebolla roja picada muy fina, lechuga ‘rucola’, aceite de oliva y vinagre balsámico. La sirvo con pan integral y vino blanco. ¡Es un muy buen plato para traer al jardín en el verano!
Comment from Marina
Time: May 4, 2007, 10:45 am
Hola Edith,
Me gusta mucho la idea de tu ensalada. Las lentejas como las sirves cocidas o en brotes???
Comment from Dan Plunkett
Time: September 25, 2007, 11:49 pm
Hi all, I am just trying to reconnect with Jon Hundt, does anyone have his email address.
Comment from Ben
Time: September 26, 2007, 8:19 am
I have contacted Jon for you with your details.
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