Crispy pesto and bacon mussels

Everything’s better with bacon, even beautiful fresh mussels. In our recipe, you cook the mussels from scratch but if you’re really short of time, buy frozen mussels on the half shell and use them. The result is just as delicious! Pressing the shells into the crushed Alfoil means you don’t lose any of the delicious juice in the shells. Our crispy pesto and bacon mussels will be your new favourite!

  • Prep Time

    20 Minutes

  • Cook Time

    6 Minutes

  • Serves

    4 People

Ingredients

  • 2 kg mussels
  • ½ cup finely chopped flat leaved parsley
  • 4 rashers of bacon rind off very finely chopped
  • 100g fresh white bread crumbs
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped flat leaved parsley to garnish

You'll Need

  • Multix Alfoil

Method

  1. Scrub the mussels and remove any beard and discard any that are damaged or open. Rinse well. Add the mussels to a large pan over a high heat, cover and cook shaking occasional for 3 minutes or until they open.  Remove them from the pan and allow them to cool so you can handle them. Be sure to reserve the mussel cooking liquid.
  2. Remove the top shell from each mussel. Line a large grill tray with loosely crushed Alfoil and then arrange the mussels on their half shells on the tray (the foil will stop them falling over). Preheat the grill to medium high. While the grill is heating, mix the bread crumbs, bacon, half the parsley and pesto and thoroughly season with a little freshly ground black pepper and a tiny pinch of salt and moisten slightly with a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid.
  3. Top each mussel with a little of the crumb mixture and cook under the grill for 2-3 minutes until golden and steaming hot. Serve immediately sprinkled with a little more of the parsley.

Tip: If you really short of time you can make this dish using frozen mussels on the half shell.

Posted in Canapes, Entertaining, Entrees, Sugar Free, Summer