Eat
Grilled Mussels with Fresh Summer Herbs
One of my favorite meals of summer is a plate laden with mussels hot off the grill with a nice spritz of fresh lemon juice to turn up the volume on its incredible flavor. Although the dish looks very complicated, once you try this recipe, you will find every excuse possible to make this dish often for you and your family.
How good is that...
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. fresh or frozen mussels
- Scant covering of water in bottom of steamer
- 3 tbsp. melted butter
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Fresh herbs, c/o parsley, basil, oregano and thyme — chopped finely
- 6 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 6 tbsp. fresh parmesan cheese, grated
Technique
Clean the mussels by scrubbing under slow running water, making sure to scrub off loose barnacles and remove the beard with a small knife. The beard is that stringy stuff that protrudes from the back side of the shells. Using the knife, grasp firmly and remove from the shell. Check the mussels that are open to make sure they are fresh by rapping with the knife. If the mussels close they are okay. Discard any that do not close or that might be damaged or broken.
Add a scant amount of water to the bottom of the steam pot, insert strainer and add mussels to this. Cover with lid. Turn on flame to medium high and steam mussels until all are open about 5-8 minutes. Remove strainer from pot and place on a pan to catch any remaining liquid. Remove tops from mussels and place on a large baking dish with mussels facing up.
In a small food processor or bowl add herbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, butter, olive oil, salt and pepper and blend thoroughly.
Using a small teaspoon, spoon a small amount of mixture on top of mussels, distributing evenly until done. Drizzle over top with a little olive oil.
Transfer dish to the grill that has been heated to medium and barbeque with top of barbeque closed for about 2-3 minutes until sizzling. Serve immediately with wedges of fresh lemon, crusty French bread and a nice glass of white wine.
