Crispy popcorn mussels and mussel gratin
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
- Dietary
- Nut-free
This seafood feast celebrates mussels in two ways – fried until crispy and served with sour cream dip and hot sauce, and cooked in garlic butter and grilled with a Parmesan breadcrumb topping.
Ingredients
For the crispy popcorn mussels
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1kg/2lb 4oz mussels, removed from their shells and reserved in their cooking liquor
- oil, for frying
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
For the chive dip
- 2 tbsp soured cream
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- cider vinegar, to taste
- 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
For the hot sauce butter
- 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
- 100ml/3½fl oz hot sauce
- cider vinegar, to taste
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
For the mussel gratin
Method
To make the crispy popcorn mussels, combine the cornflour, plain flour, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
Toss the mussels in the flour mixture until evenly coated. Shake off any excess coating in a colander.
Heat a deep fat fryer to 180C or deep pan of oil. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Fry the mussels until crisp and golden, this will take 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to cool on a plate lined with kitchen paper for a few minutes.
To make the chive dip, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
To make the hot sauce butter, melt the butter in a saucepan on a medium heat with the hot sauce.
Stir in the cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to taste and mix well.
To serve the popcorn mussels, spread the chive dip over the base of a serving plate.
Pile the crispy mussels on top and drizzle over the hot sauce butter. Serve with lemon wedges alongside.
To make the mussel gratin, preheat the grill to high.
Add the reserved mussel liquor to a saucepan on a medium heat, and reduce by three-quarters.
Mix together the butter, garlic, tarragon and parsley until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
Warm the garlic and herb butter in a pan with the mussels and reduced mussel liquor until heated through.
Spoon the mussels back into their shells, placing a few mussels inside each shell.
Sprinkle over the breadcrumb and Parmesan mixture and grill for 30 seconds - 1 minute until bubbling and golden brown. Serve immediately.
