Ingredients

• about 60 mussels
• scrubbed and debearded
• 150ml/5fl oz white wine or vermouth
• 1 large sprig flatleaf parsley
• 25g/1oz fine breadcrumbs
• 25g/1oz hard
• melting cheese
• such as Corsican local cheese
• or a mixture of gruyère and pecorino
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley
• 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon
• 1 tbsp finely chopped basil
• 3 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 30ml/1fl oz olive oil

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.
• Discard any mussels with broken shells and any that refuse to close when tapped.
• Put the wine and parsley sprig into a large lidded saucepan or casserole and bring to the boil.
• Add the mussels and cover with the lid. Leave to steam for 4–5 minutes
• or until the mussels have fully opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
• Remove the mussels from the casserole one at a time. Remove half of their shells and place them
• shell down
• on a large baking tray. Drizzle over a little of the cooking liquor
• then discard the rest.
• For the stuffing
• mix all the ingredients together. Divide the stuffing between the mussels
• placing it on top of the mussel flesh. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes
• or until lightly browned. Serve at once.