Spicy pickled mussels

Miss Can is a Portuguese canned food brand renowned for its high quality and craftsmanship. These mussels are prepared using the traditional “Em escabeche” (marinating) method: they are marinated in a mixture of olive oil, vinegar, and spices (bay leaves, hot peppers). This method creates an intense, spicy, but sour-balanced flavor that is perfect for seafood snacks.

The taste? It’s a robust, spicy, sour, and umami flavor profile. The mussels are tender but firm, and the escabeche marinade adds a pleasant vinegar sourness and hot pepper spice. This marinade makes the mussels very rich and savory.

How to serve? Due to the strong combination of vinegar and spices, this appetizer requires structure and freshness. It is ideal with a very dry sparkling wine (e.g., Brut Nature champagne style or Pet-Nat), whose bubbles and acidity neutralize the acidity and oiliness of the marinade. It also goes well with white wine aged under yeast (flor).