CookEat Recipe
Mussels Ancienne
Steamed mussels baked with thin bacon slices, chopped herbs, paprika and Parmesan.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Scrub and wash sixty very fresh live mussels under running cold water, removing the beards. Discard damaged mussels and any open ones that do not close when tapped. Keep the prepared mussels cold until cooking.
Step 2
Put the mussels in a saucepan with the pint of water and one teaspoon of the salt. Cover and steam on the stovetop for about fifteen minutes as a first guide, until opened and fully cooked to 74 Celsius. Discard any that remain closed. Drain and discard the cooking liquor, then remove the actual usable meats from their shells.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 230 Celsius. Put all the recovered mussel meats in a shallow ovenproof baking dish. Season with the remaining half teaspoon salt and half teaspoon paprika, then sprinkle with the half teaspoon chopped parsley and half teaspoon chopped chives.
Step 4
Arrange the six thin slices of raw lean bacon over the mussels and sprinkle the tablespoon grated Parmesan over the whole dish. Bake for about fifteen minutes as a first guide, continuing until all the bacon is fully cooked and crisp, reaching 71 Celsius, and the combined mussel gratin reaches 74 Celsius. Do not precook the bacon or add back the drained steam liquor.
Step 5
Remove from the oven and serve promptly in the baking dish.
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