Stuffed Mussels - Moules Farcies

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Stuffed Mussels

This recipe works equally well with mussels, clams or oysters. Personally. I like oysters just as they are and clams have such a delicate flavour, I think shallots and garlic overpower their natural beauty, but we’re all different. The quantities are for six people

Ingredients

1.      1kg Mussels (about 10 or 12 per person)
2.      3 Cloves of Garlic – finely chopped
3.      50g Peeled Shallots – finely chopped
4.      1 Bunch of Parsley – stalks removed - finely chopped
5.      500g Butter – whatever your favourite is
6.      Nice Crusty Bread
7.      Fine Fresh Breadcrumbs
This is well worth getting the food processor out for and providing you blitz the ingredients in the right order it only need washing up once! I’ll assume we’re using a food processor.

Method

1.      Clean and scrub the mussels and remove any barnacles and beards.
2.      Add the mussels to boiling water and cook over a high heat until the mussels open. This should be between 60 and 90 seconds.
3.      Drain the mussels in a colander and set t one side to cool down.
4.      Make the fine breadcrumbs using the grater attachment of the processor.
5.      Blitz the garlic, shallots and parsley together.
6.      Either add the blitzed garlic, shallots and parsley to the butter, or if the butter is soft enough you can use the processor to mix it all together.
7.      The mussels should now be cool, so remove the half of the shell which doesn’t have the mussel in and throw away.
8.      Fill each mussel with the butter mixture and top with the breadcrumbs.

There are a variety of ways of keeping the mussels the right way up depending on how you intend to cook them. 

If you have one of those clever ceramic dishes with special indentations, it’s easy peasy. 

If not, you can use the crusty bread to do the same thing in an over proof dish. If using the bread oven proof dish method, then they’re best cooked in the oven – 230oC for 10 minutes – until golden brown and bubbling. 

Alternatively, you can arrange them on baking sheet, packing the closely together so they don’t fall over and grill them in a hot grill until brown and sizzling.

However you cook them, serve immediately with beautiful crusty bread to mop all the wonderful juices.

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