Mussels with carrot juice and pimiento choricero powder

Vittor Arginzoniz is a unique and unrepeatable character. A true genius that has revolutionized char-grilled cuisine. A contemporary artist of the embers. A visionary that has technocratically transformed the most primary of tools, restructuring the mediums themselves to achieve his goals. Inventing much of his own equipment, following his own path. In this case, he has created a large pot with a conical crater in the center where the flames of pine erupt though, perfuming the mussels through steam, mussels that only just open at which point they are removed and taken out of their shells. The small amount of juice that remains after the pinewood steaming process is mixed with a base of carrots, which is obtained by reducing the heat substantially for about a half hour, more or less, to give the liquefied juice its intensity. The iodide flavors of the shellfish intermingle with the sweetness of the carrot. The sapid complexity is an extension of the mussels, preserving all their character and oceanic qualities. The iodide and sweetness of the mussels are seasoned with an astringent touch: powdered pimiento choriceros (small red peppers from the region). An ingredient that goes to the greatest depths of Basque gastronomy, making this pepper a local standard. Essential, supernatural magic with a great deal of literary backing.