Barbecued mussels with gremolata

One of the most sustainably farmed types of seafood in the nation is the relatively undervalued mussel. Here, I’ve simply popped some open on the barbecue, and dressed them with gremolata to show how simple good-quality sustainable seafood is to prepare. You could also roast or steam them to open.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  8

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 lemon, zested, ½ juiced
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 kg pot-ready black mussels

Instructions

Place garlic, lemon zest and juice, parsley and 1 tbsp olive oil in a small bowl and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper and stand for 30 minutes for flavours to develop.

Heat a barbecue to hot, then place mussels on barbecue and cook until they open. As they open, remove from heat, and remove and discard one side of the shell. Lay the shell containing the mussel on a platter, sprinkle over gremolata, then drizzle over the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Eat them warm as a pre-dinner snack.

Photography Alan Benson. Food Preparation Tobi Armbruster. Styling Michelle Crawford.

As seen in Feast magazine, October 2014, Issue 36.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.