Italian Stuffed Mussels
Delicious Italian Stuffed Mussels made with crispy breadcrumbs, lemon juice, parsley and garlic. A simple, easy recipe that's packed with flavour. These stuffed mussels make a delicious appetizer or antipasto.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- Baking tray
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (900g) fresh mussels washed and cleaned
- 80 g (3/4 cup) fine breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons (12g) fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons (20g) Pecorino Romano can also use Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 pinch chilli flakes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lemon (juice only)
- Salt
Instructions
To clean the mussels
- It's important to scrub your mussels under cold running water and pull off any beards.
- Rinse the mussels thoroughly to get rid of any sand or debris. Discard any broken mussels during the cleaning stage. If any mussels remain open after cleaning, give them a sharp tap on the counter and they should close. If they remain open it means they are dead and unsafe to eat so throw those ones away.
Make the breadcrumb mixture
- Finely chop 2 tablespoons parsley and crush 1 garlic clove add them to a small mixing bowl with 80g or 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1 small pinch of chilli flakes and 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Pecorino Romano. Mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix the juice of half a lemon, 3 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt together. Whisk it until combined then add it to the breadcrumb mixture. Stir everything together until well combined then set aside.
Cook and bake
- Heat the oven to 200C (400F)
- Heat a large pot until hot then add the mussels (there’s no liquid added). Covered with a lid and let the mussels cook for a few minutes until they have opened then turn off the heat. Give the pot a gentle shake every now and then.
- Uncover, and drain the mussels. When they’re cool enough to touch, remove the top shell from each mussel so they’re still attached to the bottom shell and place them on a baking tray.
- Note: Do not force open any mussels that remain closed after cooking. Just discard them as they are not good to eat.
- Top each mussel with the breadcrumb mixture, lightly packing it into each shell.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and serve.
Notes
- Discarding mussels - mussels that remain open after cleaning, give them a sharp tap and if they don’t close discard them. Mussels that remain closed after steaming should not be forced open as they too are not good to eat, discard them.
- Closed mussels - if any mussels remain closed after cooking just discard them. Do not force them open as they are not good to eat.
- Taste the crumbs - taste the breadcrumb mixture for seasoning and adjust to taste. You can add more chilli, parsley or cheese if you like. Note: the lemon will be very zingy at this point but the flavour is toned down a lot after baking.
- Other ways to use the breadcrumb mixture - the crumb mixture is absolutely delicious and will work well with most fish. Simply top a fillet of fish such as salmon with the mixture and bake in the oven. You could also scatter the breadcrumbs over pasta, really delicious!
- Storage - the mussels are best served warm straight after baking. Once they go completely cold they can remain at room temperature for up to 1 hour then must be refrigerated. Once refrigerated, eat the mussels within 24 hours.
- Serving suggestion - serve the stuffed mussels on a serving plate with a few lemon wedges and scatter over a little fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 304IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg
