Description
Delicious Italian-style stuffed baked mussels featuring fresh mussels topped with a savory mixture of garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs, baked to golden perfection. A perfect seafood appetizer that combines tender shellfish with a crispy, flavorful crust.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood
- 2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
Topping
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
To Serve
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat and Steam Mussels: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the cleaned mussels in a large pot with 1/4 cup of water. Cover the pot and steam over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the mussels open. Discard any mussels that remain closed after steaming.
- Prepare Mussels for Baking: Remove the top shells from the opened mussels. Arrange the mussels on a baking sheet keeping the bottom shell with the mussel meat to hold the topping.
- Make the Breadcrumb Topping: In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, lemon zest, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Mix thoroughly to create a well-blended topping mixture.
- Stuff the Mussels: Spoon a small amount of the breadcrumb mixture onto each mussel, gently pressing it in place to form an even topping layer.
- Bake the Mussels: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the breadcrumb topping becomes golden brown and crisp.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve the stuffed baked mussels warm, accompanied by lemon wedges to squeeze over for extra brightness.
Notes
- For extra richness, add a tablespoon of white wine to the breadcrumb mixture before stuffing the mussels.
- Use panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs for a lighter, crunchier topping.
- This dish works well as an appetizer or as part of a larger seafood platter.
