Recipe from staff writer, Jocelyn Doyle – “My mother often made us this dish as a treat when we were younger. If you are new to eating mussels, this is a great place to begin, blanketed as they are in buttery, garlicky breadcrumbs.”
Serves 4
1kg mussels in their shells, scrubbed and de-bearded
80g butter
80g fresh breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Zest of ½ a lemon
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Check the mussels and, if any are open, give them a tap against the counter. If they don’t close, discard them.
- Put the tightly shut mussels in a large saucepan with a lid and add one tablespoon of water or white wine. Place the pan over a low heat and cover with the lid. Cook for 2-3 minutes, just until the mussels have opened. Remove the mussels from the pan and throw away any with unopened shells.
- Carefully detach each mussel from its shell. Keeping the mussel meat in one half-shell, discard the empty half-shells.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest and parsley and stir to combine. - With a teaspoon, firmly pack some of the breadcrumb mixture on top of each mussel.
- Place the mussels, crumb side up, in a single layer on ovenproof plates or gratin dishes.
- Preheat the grill to a high heat. Place the mussels under the grill for two minutes until the garlic breadcrumbs are golden and crunchy.
Per serving: 441kcals, 22.9g fat (11.6g saturated), 24.5g carbs, 1.3g sugars, 32.8g protein, 1g fibre, 0.978g sodium