Serrano Stuffed Mussels
Stuffed mussels make a great appetizer and even work as a nice Hors d’Oeuvres. This recipe is from my Foodie trip to the Catalonia region of Spain. They are rather simple to make, composed of two fillings that are then breaded and fried. The mussels can be made a day ahead of time and finished at the last minute in a frying pan.
The Mussel-White Sauce (a bechamel/veloute highbred) is made with the reserved cooking liquid from the mussels along with milk and is thickened with a butter and flour roux.
The steamed mussels are chopped and added to a mixture of cooked onions, garlic, saffron, Serrano ham and tomatoes.
A spoonful of the mussel mixture is then placed in each of the cleaned mussel shells.
The mussel mixture is then topped with a coating of the Mussel-White Sauce.
Dip the filled mussel shells into the beaten egg mixture, coating evenly and then into the breadcrumb-cheese mixture.
Pan-fry the mussels over medium-high heat until golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
PRODUCT TIP:
Saffron is expensive and can be hard to find locally. This is the brand I use and I purchase it through Amazon. Just a pinch in this mussel dish is all you need, but I like to keep it on hand for the occasional Paella.
Serrano Stuffed Mussels
Course: AppetizersCuisine: SpanishDifficulty: Easy4
servings45
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 pound fresh mussels
1 thick slice of fresh lemon
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small Spanish onion
2 large cloves garlic
1 large pinch of saffron
2 thin slices Serrano Ham (or Prosciutto), minced
1 plum tomato, seeded and minced
1 Tablespoon minced parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 batch Mussel-White Sauce (recipe below)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon grated Roncal or aged Manchego cheese
oil for frying
- Mussel-White Sauce
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup reserved mussel cooking liquid (from recipe above)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Soak the mussels in cold water for 5 minutes, scrub them clean and remove the beards.
- In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup water with the lemon to a boil. Add the mussels, and steam until they start to open.
- Remove the mussels from the pan as they begin to open. Strain and reserve the cooking liquid (for the Mussel-White Sauce recipe below). Remove the meat from the shells (pulling away any remaining beards), discarding all but 30 of the nicest half shells. Clean the 30 shells and mince the mussel meat.
- In a small sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, add the garlic, saffron and minced ham. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato, parsley and season with salt and pepper, cooking for 3 more minutes.
- Divide the mixture among the mussel shells, filling them about half full. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
- To finish the mussels, fill each shell to the top with the mussel-white sauce and smooth off the top.
- Mix together the bread crumbs and Roncal (or Manchego) cheese in a small bowl. Dip the filled mussel shells into the egg mixture, coating evenly and then into the bread crumb- cheese mixture.
- Heat 1/2-inch of oil in a large sauté pan, and pan-fry the mussels over medium-high heat until golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
- Mussel-White Sauce
- In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir, cooking for 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the milk and reserved mussel cooking liquid, stirring and cooking until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth. Adjust seasoning and cool down.
- Chill in the refrigerator until firm.
