Stuffed mussels recipe

Try a new way of serving this ever-popular shellfish by cooking them in white wine and stuffing with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, herbs and chilli.

Ingredients

• 500g (1lb) mussels
• 100ml (3½fl oz) dry white wine or water
• 6tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
• 2tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper

Method

1. Clean the mussels well, carefully removing any beards and barnacles using a sharp knife.
2. Rinse the mussels under cold water. Put them into a large, shallow pan. Add the white wine or water. Put a lid on the pan and cook the mussels over a high heat for 1-2 mins, until they’ve opened. Drain them and set aside to cool.
3. Separate the shells into halves, discarding the halves that are empty. Lay the halves containing mussels on an ovenproof tray and refrigerate until needed.
4. In a bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley.
5. Heat the oil gently in a small pan and add the garlic and chilli. Cook for 1 min, taking care not to burn the garlic, then stir into the breadcrumbs, and season to taste.
6. Preheat the grill to a hot setting. Spoon the breadcrumb mixture over the mussels and grill the mussels for 4-5 mins, until the crumb crust is golden. Serve immediately.