Open-Faced Mussel Sandwich Is The Seafood Dish You Must Try This Summer

In the digitally driven world of Instagram-able food, it’s hard to focus on the beauty and allure of fine dining. However, Tabañero Hot Sauce and FOODBEAST are working to eliminate that issue with this Open-Faced Mussel Sandwich as part of our The Tabasutra Series.

This strikingly beautiful and sophisticated seafood plate reimagines the classic restaurant dish, and also incorporates the elegance of one of the most recognized Tabasutra poses known to man — but we’ll get to that later.

Sautéed in a mixture of shallots, cumin seed, garlic, red bell pepper, and a red wine vinegar, and served on two thick slices of French bread, this sandwich will give any foodie an instant O-face.

That’s probably why “The Sommelier” was the perfect candidate for this exotic Tabasutra grip.

With 12-15 freshly cooked black mussels, a healthy helping of harissa paste for spice, this Tabañero mussel sandwich packs a spicy seafood punch you’ll only be able to recreate with the help of the Tabasutra Series recipe book.

So, what’s your favorite Tabasutra position?

Ingredients
For the harissa

3oz Tabañero hot sauce

1/2 cup red onion, minced

1/2 tsp caraway seed

1/2 tsp coriander seed

1/2 tsp cumin seed

4 cloves garlic minced

1 roasted red bell pepper

olive oil, as needed

3oz red wine vinegar

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp unsalted butter

For the mussels

2 thick slices of baguette or French bread

1/2 c chopped fennel

Fennel fronds for garnish

1/2 c heirloom cherry tomatoes

1 shallot, diced finely

1/2 c white wine

1 tbsp unsalted butter

12-15 fresh black mussels

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Harissa

Step 1

Toast all the dried seeds in a sauté pan on medium until fragrant, be careful not to burn. Roast Bell pepper on open flame until charred black, and then immediately put in bowl and wrap with plastic so it can steam off charred skin. When cool, peel skin under running water, de-seed and rough chop. Put dried seeds in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, grind, and reserve.

Step 2

In a sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté garlic and onion till translucent. Add tomato paste and deglaze with red wine vinegar and reserve.

Step 3

In a food processor, combine the sautéed garlic, onion, and tomato paste. Mix with the dried spices, Tabañero hot sauce, and roasted bell peppers and pulse. Drizzle olive oil and season to taste until desired consistency and flavor is achieved.

Mussel sandwich

Step 4

In a medium sauté pan heat vegetable oil. Add in shallots and chopped fennel and sauté until translucent. Add in Mussels and harissa paste and deglaze with white wine. Cover the sauté pan and cook until mussels are completely open, approximately 2min.

Step 5

Mount with butter and season to taste to make sauce. Toast bread and spread sauce on bread, pick mussels out of shell and build open faced sandwich. Garnish with sliced heirloom tomatoes and fennel fronds. Assemble like an avocado toast.

Photos by Peter Pham

Created in partnership with Tabañero