Stuffed Mussels Tigres Recipes

STUFFED BAKED MUSSELS

Steps:

• Debeard and clean the exterior of the mussel shells very well (they will be used later for service).
• In a cast-iron Dutch oven over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the garlic, red pepper flakes, white wine and thyme. Bring the wine to a simmer and add the mussels. Cover tightly and cook until all the mussels have opened, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the mussels from the pot, discarding any that did not open, and when cool enough to handle, remove the flesh and chop. Rinse the shells and put aside for service. Strain the liquid from the pot and reserve. Wipe the Dutch oven clean with a paper towel.
• Place the pot over medium-high heat, add the remaining olive oil and, when shimmering, add the onions and bell peppers and saute until the onions are just starting to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the serrano, the remaining garlic and the tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the butter and the flour. Once the butter melts, slowly incorporate the milk. Add the reserved cooking liquid from the mussels, a little at a time, until the mixture is creamy but not runny. Add the chopped mussels and gradually add 1 cup panko, as needed, and stir gently to combine.
• Preheat the oven to broil and adjust the rack to 6 inches below the element.
• Separate, rinse and dry the mussel shells.
• Spread the rock salt evenly in an ovenproof serving platter. Fill the mussel shells with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mussel-vegetable mixture. Place the remaining cup of panko in a shallow bowl or plate and spread out. Gently roll the filled shells in the panko. Nest the filled mussels into the rock salt on the prepared platter. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper, place under the broiler and broil until golden brown and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
• Sprinkle with the chopped Italian parsley, squeeze a few lemon wedges over the mussels and garnish with remaining lemon wedges and serve immediately.

STUFFED MUSSELS (TIGRES)

Steps:

• Steam open the mussels. Put them in a deep pan with the water. Cover the pan and put over a high heat, shaking the pan, until the shells open. Remove from heat and discard any mussels that do not open.
• Mussels can also be opened in a microwave. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl, partially covered, and microwave at full power for one minute. Stir and microwave one minute more. Remove any mussels that have opened and microwave one minute more. Again remove open ones. Repeat twice more. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
• When mussels are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the empty half shells. Loosen the mussel meat from the bottom shell and arrange the mussels in their shells on a tray in a single layer. Strain the mussel liquid and reserve it.
• Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and sauté the minced onion until it is softened, without letting it brown. Stir in the flour, cook for a minute, stirring, then whisk in the wine and the mussel liquid. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is thickened and smooth. Put a spoonful of this white sauce onto each mussel and smooth it level with the top of the shell.
• Refrigerate until the sauce is firmly set, at least one hour. Place the beaten egg in one dish and the bread crumbs in another. Dip the mussels, open face down, first into egg, then bread crumbs. Arrange them on the tray in a single layer. (The mussels can be prepared up to this point, then frozen. Freeze them in one layer, then pack them carefully in a freezer bag or plastic container. Let them thaw at least one hour before continuing with the preparation.)
• To fry the mussels, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan. Fry them in two or three batches, breaded side down, until golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot.

STUFFED MUSSELS

Steps:

• Clean mussels thoroughly. Discard any that do not close. Put them in a sauce pan with white wine and cook over high heat until the mussels open. Throw out any that do not open. Place the mussels in their half shells onto a baking sheet (do not discard the other half of the shell just yet). Chop up the prosciutto and mix in a bowl with bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, 1/2 of the olive oil, salt (easy on the salt) and pepper and the juice from the mussels. Mix all together. Put some of the mixture on each mussel in the pan. Add a little olive oil to each mussel. Place in oven on broil for about 2 to 3 minutes until the bread crumbs are golden (must be watched). Serve hot and with lemon, if preferred. If there is extra bread crumb mixture, you can add a can of chopped clams and put it in the other halves of the mussel shells to use it up; these take a little longer to cook.

STUFFED MUSSELS

Steps:

• Scrub the mussels really well and remove the beards. Discard any with damaged shells and those that don't shut tight when tapped on the edge of the sink. Rinse well. Put all the mussels in a medium saucepan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Place over a high heat and cook for 2 mins, shaking the pan halfway, until all the shells have steamed open but the mussels are only just cooked. Discard any that don't open. Tip into a colander and leave to cool.
• Tear the bread into rough pieces, put in a food processor and blend into crumbs. Rub the walnuts between your hands to remove some of the papery skins. Add the walnuts, butter, garlic, lemon juice and Parmesan to the crumbs. Season with a good pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Blitz until all the ingredients begin to blend. Add the herbs to the stuffing and blend until combined with the butter.
• Heat the grill to its hottest setting. Take each mussel and carefully prise off one half of each shell. Drain away any excess liquid. Place the mussels in their remaining shells on a small baking tray. Using a teaspoon and your finger, divide the stuffing mixture between each mussel shell, making sure the mussel itself is fully covered. Place the tray fairly close to the grill and cook for about 2 mins until the stuffing is pale golden brown and the mussels are hot and surrounded by the melted butter. Transfer the shells to 2 plates and eat straight away.