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Red pepper gazpacho with mussel scoopers
Serves Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course Starters and mains
For the gazpacho
- 4 red peppers
- 300g really ripe, best-quality tomatoes
- 1⁄2tbsp sherry vinegar, or to taste
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for swirling
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 150ml water (or more for the desired consistency)
For the mussels
- 150ml white wine or water, more, if needed
- 650g mussels
- 1tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1⁄4tsp caster sugar
- 1⁄4 red onion, very finely chopped
- 2tbsp capers, drained, and rinsed if salted
- few small coriander leaves
- squeeze lemon juice
Method
To scrub and debeard your mussels, start by discarding any with cracked shells or any that are open and don’t close when you tap them. Fill your sink with cold water and rinse the mussels. Sort through them, pulling the beard (the bristly bit between the two shells) out with your fingers and discarding it. Use a vegetable brush or clean scourer to scrub the outside of the shells.
Preheat the grill to medium-hot. Grill the red peppers on a baking tray, turning them with tongs, until the skin blackens all over. This will take around 15-20 minutes.
Transfer the peppers into a plastic bag and tie it shut. Set aside for 15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove the peppers, peel off the skin and discard the seeds. Place the flesh in a blender with all the other gazpacho ingredients and blend for 5 minutes or until extremely smooth. Season to taste then transfer to a covered container and chill for at least 1 hour.
To cook the mussels, pour a 1cm depth of water or white wine into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over a very high heat. Add the mussels, pop the lid on and give the pan a really good shake. Leave on the heat for 3 minutes, then give the mussels a stir. If they aren’t quite open, pop the lid back on and give them another minute. Drain through a colander. When cool enough to handle, scoop all the mussels out from their shells and place in a bowl. Discard any that haven’t opened. Save half the shells and rinse them well to clean.
Arrange the mussel shells on a platter or individual plates and put the mussels back into them. You can serve them on a bed of coarse salt to make them stand up if they are wobbling around.
Put the red wine vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt into a small cup or glass and stir to dissolve, then mix in the red onion. Drizzle over the mussels, then dot them with the capers and coriander leaves and add a good squeeze of lemon juice. Ladle the chilled soup into bowls and add a swirl of olive oil. Spoon up the soup with the mussel scoopers, getting a mouthful of everything all at once.
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