Serving on the Half-shell

Once opened, the meat of the mussels can be removed from the shells and used in recipes, or left in and served in the shells with a sauce, or topped with herb butter or breadcrumbs mixed with chopped fresh herbs. If they are large mussels, their tough, rubbery rings should be removed.

1. Clean mussels open and steam them open as above, with liquid and flavourings of your choice. Remove them from the liquid and let cool, then prise them open with your fingers and discard the top shells. Loosen the mussels from the bottom shells.

   

2. Arrange the half shells on sea salt in a heatproof dish. Top each mussel with ½ tsp pesto or garlic and herb butter, and grill for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with a concassée of tomatoes and basil leaves.