There’s nothing more morish than these crumbed mussels with a quick two minute EVOO mayo with hints of fennel seed and lemon. It’s the perfect summer combo.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
Lemon & fennel seed mayo
1 egg
¼ tsp caster sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
150ml sunflower oil
60ml Peppery EVOO
¼ tsp fennel seeds
Crumbed mussels
20-24 mussels
2 Tbsp Peppery EVOO
20g butter
2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
pinch of dried chilli flakes
100g breadcrumbs/panko crumb
small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Directions
Using the vacuum method of making mayonnaise, place all of the ingredients (except the fennel seeds), in the order listed, into a tall cylinder jar or container. Blend with a stick/hand blender, starting from the very bottom of the jar and very slowly drawing the blender upwards, until it has emulsified and is smooth and creamy.
Lightly toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan and allow to cool. Once cooled gently smash/crush them and mix through your mayonnaise and set aside for serving.
Warm a skillet or frying pan and add the butter and cooking oil, when hot add the garlic and gently sauté for 1 minute on a medium heat. Add the chilli flakes, season with salt and pepper and sauté for a further 20 seconds. Stir through the breadcrumbs, so the fats absorb into them, then stir through the parsley. Set aside.
Clean and prep the mussels by discarding any that are broken or remain open after tapping them gently on a surface. Rinse and scrub with cold water, removing any barnacles as you go and pull out the fibrous beard by pulling it towards the hinge of the shell.
Preheat the grill of your oven onto high and bring a large pot of water to the boil. Pour in the prepped mussels in and drain once cooked and they start to open. Cool, then remove and discard the top shell and place on a large baking tray. Spoon on large tablespoons of crumb onto each and cook under the grill for about 3 minutes, until browned.
Serve with the lemon/fennel mayo in a side bowl or loosen with a little water, place into a piping bag or squeezy bottle and squiggle a wiggly line on top of each. Serve while hot.
