Baked Mussels

Ingredients

• 1000 g mussels
• 250 ml dry white wine
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• Salt
• coarse Sea salt
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1 Shallot
• 50 g whole grain toast
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp herbs de Provence

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash mussels thoroughly and remove the beards. Discard open mussels. Drain mussels in a sieve and keep cold until use.

2. 2.

   Bring wine with thyme, peppercorns, and a pinch of salt to a boil. Add mussels and cook for about 2 minutes over high heat, then another 4 minutes over low heat. Discard closed mussels. Let the mussels cool slightly, then remove the upper shell halves and loosen the mussels from the lower shells but leave them there.

3. 3.

   Line a large baking dish thickly with coarse salt and place the mussel halves in the dish.

4. 4.

   Peel and finely dice garlic and shallot. Cut toast into very small pieces. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add shallot and sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic, herbs, and toast; stir in. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

5. 5.

   Spread the herb-toast mixture over the mussels. Bake in a preheated oven at 225 °C (or 200 °C fan‑forced) until golden brown. Serve baked mussels immediately.