I love mussels. The best part of eating mussels for me is sopping up all the flavorful broth with pieces of toasted bread. For a long time I thought of mussels as restaurant food, but then I realized how easy they are to cook at home (and they are pretty cheap too!). Now I make them fairly regularly, either as an appetizer if we are having guests, or as a main course with a side salad. This recipe is my current favorite way to prepare mussels. All you have to do is make a compound butter with parsley and garlic, spread it over mussels in a baking pan, cover, and bake. It is very simple and you don't have to stand over the stovetop waiting for them to open up. The butter melts and combines with the mussel juices to make the most delicious dipping sauce for bread.
Baked mussels with parsley garlic butter
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
Serves 2-4
2 pounds mussels, washed and beards removed
3 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (I remove thick stems, but include the thinner ones)
3 tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 deg F. Spread mussels in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a food processor or mini chopper, blend garlic, parsley, butter, salt, and pepper until smooth. Drop butter in small spoonfuls over the mussels. Tightly cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 12-15 minutes, until mussels are wide open. Discard unopened mussels. Serve with crusty bread. Mussels are best served immediately.
Baked mussels with parsley garlic butter
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
Serves 2-4
2 pounds mussels, washed and beards removed
3 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (I remove thick stems, but include the thinner ones)
3 tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 deg F. Spread mussels in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a food processor or mini chopper, blend garlic, parsley, butter, salt, and pepper until smooth. Drop butter in small spoonfuls over the mussels. Tightly cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 12-15 minutes, until mussels are wide open. Discard unopened mussels. Serve with crusty bread. Mussels are best served immediately.
I loveee mussels but have never tried making them myself! This doesn't seem too hard either, I ought to give them a try :)
ReplyDeleteHi Tessa, you should definitely try cooking mussels - they aren't hard to make and they are so good! Let me know what you think if you try this
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