Roasted Mussels Recipes

ROASTED MUSSELS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread almonds in an even layer on a baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to oven and roast until fragrant, about 5 minutes; let cool. Coarsely chop almonds by hand or pulse in a food processor.
• Place a 5 1/4 quart nonreactive cast-iron roasting pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and cook until melted. Add shallots and garlic, cooking until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice, bring to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Toss in herbs and almonds; season with salt and pepper.
• Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Arrange mussels in the roasting pan in no more than two even layers. Cut remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter into pieces and place over mussels. Transfer to oven and roast, tossing mussels to coat, every 3 to 4 minutes, until mussels have opened and sauce is creamy. Serve immediately with bread for dipping.

OVEN-ROASTED MUSSELS WITH FRESH SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Clean the mussels. Inspect each one carefully and discard any that have opened (if some are partly open, tap them with your finger, and if they close back up they are O.K.) or have cracked shells. Place in a large bowl, fill the bowl with cold water and rinse several times, swishing the mussels around in the water, pouring out the water and refilling. Clean the shells, if necessary, with a brush or the end of one of the mussels, and pull out the beards -- the hairy attachments emerging from the shells. Do not do this until just before cooking, or the mussels will die and spoil.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the mussels. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Arrange the mussels, pointed ends up, in a single layer in a cast iron skillet and/or a heavy baking dish. Spoon the marinade left in the bowl over the mussels and place in the preheated oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, until most of the mussels have opened.
• Meanwhile, steam the spinach in a large pot above 1 inch of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, arrange on a large round platter, and season with a little bit of coarse sea salt and pepper.
• Arrange the mussels that have opened on top of the spinach and return the pan to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard any mussels that have not opened. Arrange all of the mussels on top of the spinach, pour the juices in the pan over the mussels and spinach, sprinkle on the parsley and serve over a bed of steamed spinach, with crusty bread.

OVEN ROASTED MUSSELS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Position 1 rack in bottom third of oven and the other rack in top third of oven.
• Mix 1st seven ingredients in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Brush bread on both sides with olive oil; place on top baking rack in oven.
• Place mussels in wide oven-proof pot; cover and put on bottom rack.
• Roast mussels until mussels open, about 5-9 minutes.
• Watch bread until it is lightly toasted.
• Remove any mussels that did not open.
• Add herb butter and stir until melted.
• Divide mussels and juices among bowls and sprinkle with remaining chopped chives.
• Serve with bread.

OVEN-ROASTED MUSSELS WITH GARLIC-HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Mix first 8 ingredients in small bowl. Season herb butter with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 500. Brush bread on both sides with oil; place on baking sheet. Place bread on top oven rack; toast until golden, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, place mussels in wide ovenproof pot. Cover, place on bottom oven rack, and roast just until mussels open, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from oven and discard any mussels that did not open. Add herb butter to mussels; stir until melted. Season to taste with ground black pepper. Divide mussels and juices from pot among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with additional chopped chives. Top each serving with sourdough toast and serve.

ROASTED MUSSELS WITH SPICY PORK SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Tomato Sauce:
• To make the tomato-sausage base, put a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chorizo and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine, reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer gently until slightly thickened and reduced, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Keep the tomato base warm while you cook the mussels.
• Mussels:
• Put the mussels in a large skillet or wok over high heat, add the stock or wine, and cover with a lid. Cook the mussels until they open, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid, and pour the tomato-sausage base over the mussels. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fully heated through. Divide the mussels among 4 shallow soup bowls and serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.

ROASTED MUSSELS WITH ALMONDS AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Scrub mussels well and remove beards. Finely chop almonds and on a baking sheet toast in middle of oven until golden, about 4 minutes.
• Mince garlic and chop parsley. In an ovenproof kettle at least 10 inches wide combine mussels, garlic, parsley, wine, and butter and season with pepper. Roast mussels, uncovered, in middle of oven, stirring once halfway through roasting, 15 minutes, or until mussels have opened. Discard any unopened mussels. Add almonds, tossing to combine.

ROASTED BREADED MUSSELS (COZZE AL FORNO)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Prepare the scrubbed mussels for cooking by checking to make sure that none of the shells are open (discard the open ones).
• Place the mussels in a pan with 1/2 cup of water or dry white wine over medium high heat and cook stirring frequently just until the mussels begin to open. Remove and put into a bowl as the shells will continue to open.
• When all of the mussels are removed, strain the liquid through a sieve or cheesecloth and reserve the liquid. You should have a 1/4 cup of the liquid. Now remove the mussels from their shells reserving half of the shells. Place the halved shell on a baking sheet and place a mussel in each one.
• In a small bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, oregano, grated cheese, and breadcrumbs. Now sprinkle the mixture over the mussels in a thin layer. Now drizzle the olive oil and a little of the reserved liquid over the breadcrumb mixture.
• Bake the mussels for about 10 minutes or until the tops of the breadcrumbs are brown and crisp (careful not to burn the breadcrumbs).
• Serve right away and enjoy.

ROASTED HALIBUT WITH MUSSEL BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine kelp with 4 cups of cool water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of the kelp water.
• On a lightly greased rimmed sheet pan, arrange half of the softened kelp in the center, allowing excess water to drip off kelp and slightly overlapping the pieces. (Do not squeeze water out of the kelp). Rub halibut with 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt. Set halibut in the center of the kelp and lift kelp over the sides of the fish. It should stick to the fish. Top halibut with the remaining kelp, slightly overlapping, and tuck the kelp loosely underneath the fish to enclose it.
• Roast halibut until just opaque in the center, about 15 minutes. A metal cake tester or skewer inserted in the center of the fish should feel warm to the touch. Transfer wrapped halibut to a serving platter.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine clam juice and the reserved kelp water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add mussels, cover and cook until mussels open, 2 to 3 minutes; begin checking mussels at 2 minutes and transfer them to a bowl as they open (discard any that do not open). Tent with foil to keep warm. Pour mussel broth into a separate bowl, leaving behind any grit in the pot, and reserve the broth. Rinse out pot to remove any grit.
• Combine 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice with the saffron in a small bowl and mix well. In the rinsed pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add reserved mussel broth (and any juice that has drained from the mussels) and saffron-lemon juice, and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently to allow flavors to meld, about 5 minutes. Discard garlic.
• While whisking constantly, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, blending in each addition before adding the next. Then, whisk in heavy cream. Gently simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, parsley and tarragon, and season with salt. You should have about 2 cups of sauce.
• Remove the top layer of kelp to reveal halibut. You can serve the kelp to eat with the fish or discard it. Arrange mussels around halibut, removing the top shells for easier eating if you'd like. Spoon some sauce over the mussels and fish, and garnish with parsley and tarragon.
• To serve, divide the fish and mussels among plates. Garnish with more parsley and tarragon. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.