Stuffed mussels

PREPARATION  20 minutes

TOTAL COOKING  20 minutes

MAKES  18

18 black mussels

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated purée)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 large handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped

75 g (2¾ oz/¾ cup) dry breadcrumbs

2 eggs, beaten

olive oil, for deep-frying

White sauce

20 g (¾ oz) butter

1½ tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour

2 tablespoons milk

Scrub the mussels and remove the hairy beards. Discard any open mussels or those that don’t close when tapped on the bench. Bring 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) water to the boil in a saucepan, add mussels, then cover and cook for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mussels have opened. Remove them as soon as they open or they will be tough. Strain cooking liquid into a pitcher until you have around 80 ml (2½ fl oz/¹/₃ cup). Discard any unopened mussels. Remove the rest of the mussels from their shells and discard one half shell from each. Finely chop the mussel meat.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the spring onion and cook for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the mussel meat, tomato paste, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, or until pale and foaming. Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the reserved mussel liquid, the milk and some pepper. Return to heat and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until sauce boils and thickens. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes until quite thick. Cool.

Spoon the mussel mixture into the shells. Top each generously with the white sauce and smooth the surface, to form a mound.

Combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining parsley. Dip the mussels in egg, then press in the crumbs to cover the top. Fill a deep, heavy-based saucepan one-third full of oil and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread browns in 15 seconds. Cook the mussels in batches for 10–15 seconds, or until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and then drain well. Serve hot.