Pacific Northwest: Taste

Pinchos de Mar Rebozados Bozados

"Thorns of the Sea" Makes 15 bite-size servings

15 large mussels 15 medium shrimp Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 tablespoons flour 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 cup breadcrumbs Olive oil for frying 1. Wash the mussels under running water and pull off their beards. In a small saucepan over high heat, cook the mussels in half a cup of water for 6 to 8 minutes, or until they pop open. Cool the mussels and pull them out of their shells. 2. Peel the shrimp and pull off the heads if necessary. 3. Put one mussel and one shrimp on each of 15 bamboo skewers; keep the shellfish at one end of the skewers so the other will make a handle. Season the shellfish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using the bamboo skewers as handles, roll the seafood in flour and shake off the excess. Next, dip the seafood in the beaten egg, and roll in breadcrumbs. The tapas may be prepared ahead up to this point and kept refrigerated for an hour or two. 4. In a small frying pan pour the olive oil to 3 inches deep, then heat until it registers 375 degrees, or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil floats immediately to the surface and turns golden in about 1 minute. Fry the skewers three or four at a time in hot olive oil and serve hot. - Adapted from "Las Clasicas Tapas," by Rafael de Haro.