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1
Start by soaking the mussels in cold water for about 20 minutes to allow them to release any sand trapped in their shells.
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2
Pull off their beards with the help of a paring knife, scrub the shells to remove any dirt, rinse thoroughly under cold water and discard any that are open or broken.
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3
Heat the oil in a large frying pan (wide enough to hold all the mussels) over a medium heat and add the garlic, shallot and jamon.
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4
Cook until the shallot is translucent, but not coloured.
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5
Add the flour and paprika and stir-fry for 20 seconds to cook the flour (you dont want the sauce to have a floury taste).
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6
Add the chopped olives and white wine, stirring all the time and then quickly flambe by setting light to the pan using a lighter or long matches.
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7
If you dont want to flambe the wine dont worry, just cook for a couple of minutes so that the alcohol evaporates.
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8
Add the cleaned mussels to the pan, turn up the heat and shake the pan vigorously, tossing the mussels a couple of times.
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9
Season to taste and stir in the parsley, cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mussels are fully opened (throw away any that remain closed).
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10
Stir again before serving with lots of fresh bread to soak up the sauce
