Italian Stuffed Mussels

To clean the mussels

1. It's important to scrub your mussels under cold running water and pull off any beards.
2. 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

1. 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.
2. 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

1. Heat the oven to 200C (400F)
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Note: Do not force open any mussels that remain closed after cooking. Just discard them as they are not good to eat.
5. Top each mussel with the breadcrumb mixture, lightly packing it into each shell.
6. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and serve.