José Andrés' Favorite Way To Eat Mussels Is Both Classy And Practical
We always look forward to TikToks from the account of José Andrés, the beloved gourmet chef, and restauranteur. He chronicles his thoughts on life, what he eats at restaurants, and, of course, his favorite treats. Andrés carries a reputation for high-end dining, exquisite dishes, and premium ingredients, but he is also a man of the people. And that is exactly what we see in his video showing how he likes to enjoy mussels.
In the TikTok clip, which is captioned, "My team showing you my favorite way to eat mussels!" a woman cracks open a can of Andrés' self-branded tinned mussels. This is surprising enough because the general wisdom is that shellfish is always best fresh and without much tampering, especially when it comes to fine dining. And then the can opener tears open a bag of potato chips, again from Andrés' own label, in a somewhat distressing manner, dumping the chips out onto a plate. The hand proceeds to dump the mussels on top of the potato chip tower, and that is the extent of the recipe.
Some users thought it was a stunning creation and even rushed to make it themselves. One viewer commented, "I treated myself to this — I split the bag open like you did. It was so good." But that sentiment was not unanimous. Another comment reads, "I truly believed you can do no wrong when it comes to food but I don't know if I can do this one."
Why it works
@chefjoseandres My team showing you my favorite way to eat mussels! Grab a tin of our mussels in escabeche and pair with José Andrés Chips. It's delicious!! #tinnedfish #tinnedseafood #joseandresfoods
Freshly steamed mussels and fries is an incredibly popular dish at many restaurants. Think of this recipe as a deconstructed, less fussy version of that. And while you may have the urge to turn your nose up at tinned fish and shellfish, you'd be missing out on a ton of delicious possibilities. Andrés is native to Spain, which has a rich history of canning shellfish, also known as conservas. Basically, this isn't the discounted, oily stuff you might find in regular grocery stores.
And these mussels aren't just preserved in oil or salted water, but escabeche, which is a pickled marinade that is used in many Spanish fish dishes. The mussels soak up the tart sauce, which gives the snack a balance of acid and salt, while the potato chips bring fat and a delightfully crispy texture. This deceptively simple snack recipe would be excellent as an easy, no-cook aperitivo or midday snack.