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

1. Check the mussels and, if any are open, give them a tap against the counter. If they don’t close, discard them.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. With a teaspoon, firmly pack some of the breadcrumb mixture on top of each mussel.
5. Place the mussels, crumb side up, in a single layer on ovenproof plates or gratin dishes.
6. 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