Wood Fired Croatian Mussels (Dagnje na Buzaru)

1. Rinse the mussels under cold water and scrub off the beards. Discard any cracked mussels.

Classic Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, wok, or paella pan, over medium heat then add the garlic and parsley and cook until the garlic is just beginning to brown. Typically 1-2 minutes.
2. Add in the mussels, give a quick stir and cook until just beginning to open. Typically 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the white wine and shake the pan to combine. Cook until the mussels are open then remove from heat and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs. Shake the pan to combine.
4. Remove and discard any unopened mussels.
5. Serve warm with some crusty bread.

Wood Fired Method

1. Set up a grill or smoker for indirect heat and preheat to 350 degrees. To save time, you can preheat the pan with the oil in the smoker. Note: if your pan is on the small side you may want to cook in batches to avoid overcrowding.
2. Add the garlic and parsley and cook about 5 minutes, until the garlic is starting to brown.
3. Stir in the mussels and cook for about 10 minutes, until the mussels are just starting to open.
4. Stir in the white wine and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until the mussels are open. Stir halfway through this time to make sure all of the mussels are getting even heat.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs. Remove and discard any unopened mussels.
6. Serve warm with crusty bread.