Rockfish Lyme Bay Mussels Escabeche, 120g

Rockfish Lyme Bay Mussels in Escabeche are the kind of tinned seafood that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with anything else. Rope-grown in Lyme Bay just off the South Devon coast, steamed and lightly fried, then hand-laid into tins and bathed in a classic Spanish escabeche of sunflower oil, vinegar, DOP paprika and salt. British shellfish, finished by master canners in Asturias - and exceptional from the moment you open the tin.

These need almost nothing else. Tip the lot - mussels and their paprika-stained oil - onto a small plate with some good sourdough, a wedge of lemon and a glass of chilled fino, manzanilla or albariño. From there, spoon them onto warm garlic-rubbed toast, fork them through a warm potato salad, pile them onto a Spanish tortilla or just eat with a bag of thick cut potato crips. The full conservas-bar tapa, ready in seconds.

Why we love it:

• Made by Rockfish, the Mitch Tonks restaurant group based in Brixham - proper South West fish people doing tinned seafood properly
• Rope-grown mussels from Lyme Bay, sent to Asturias in northern Spain to be cured in the centuries-old conservas tradition - British fish, European craft
• Steamed, lightly fried and hand-laid into the tin in a classic escabeche of sunflower oil, vinegar, DOP paprika and salt - properly aromatic rather than a heavy marinade
• Restaurant-quality tinned seafood - the kind of tin that turns a glass of fino into a proper aperitivo with zero effort

How to use:

• Open the tin and serve straight up as a tapa, with sourdough, lemon and a glass of chilled fino, manzanilla or albariño.
• Fork onto warm garlic-rubbed toast and finish with a few drops of the paprika oil from the tin.
• Stir gently through a warm potato salad with fresh parsley and red onion, or pile onto a Spanish tortilla.
  
• Once opened, transfer any unused mussels and the escabeche into a small airtight container, refrigerate and use within 2 days.

More information:

• Rockfish is the tinned-seafood range from Mitch Tonks' restaurant group, based in Brixham - they source from the South West fleet and have their fish canned by traditional Spanish artisans in Asturias
• 120g tin (72g drained) - serves two as a tapa, or one as a generous lunch with bread
• Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Once opened, transfer to an airtight container, refrigerate and use within 2 days.
  
• Allergens: MOLLUSCS
  
• Ingredients: Mussels (Mytilus edulis) (MOLLUSC) (60%), sunflower oil, vinegar, DOP paprika, salt