Crispy Broiled Mussels

Oh. My. Gosh. This is heaven on a plate, in so many ways that I did not anticipate.

Annnnd, I’m a poet and didn’t know it. (But my feet show it; they’re Longfellows.) Should I stop? Okay.

When I think about mussels, I usually feel a little queasy, imagining a small slimy ball slip-sliding down my throat. But oops, no, that’s oysters.  So when I saw that frozen mussels were on sale at the grocery store (let’s not get into whether or not buying seafood on sale is a good idea, alright?), I had an unexpected bout of inspiration.

These went from bag to my stomach in about 15 minutes; I could not scarf them down fast enough! These will definitely be a regular at my dinner table, and I hope they will make it to yours as well.

Crispy Broiled Mussels
1 pound frozen mussels, cleaned and pre-cooked
1/2 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
Panko bread crumbs, for sprinkling

Put wine and frozen mussels in a pot, cover and bring to a boil. Boil until mussels are well steamed, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, let mussels cool enough to twist and break off half of the shell. Meanwhile, stir paprika and garlic into the butter.

Discard wine broth (or save it for another yummy use) and arrange mussels in a single layer in a baking dish. Spread a dollop of butter mixture on each mussel. Sprinkle cheese over all, then sprinkle panko on top.

Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and panko is golden and toasted.

I ate these a la carte, but I would have loved them  with macaroni and cheese, or mashed potatoes with gravy made from the wine broth.

Yum! Try something new today!

-Kelsey May