Everyone once in a while I come across a recipe I just NEED to share. This is one of them.
Let's clear the air here. A main ingredient in this recipe is basil and I'm well aware that your once vibrant lush basil plant is now probably a wilted, crispy, mess of twigs waiting to be pulled out of your deck planters. I have baked twice so far in September and I'm already tired of pumpkin and apple so sue me if I'm craving some greenery in my life. So get your butt over to your local grocery store, heck I'm sure you can still buy a plant at Whole Foods, and get some basil because this recipe is literally one for the books.
I actually make mussels a lot but never really steer away from my tomato and wine based broth because after all, the broth is really the best part of any mussel dish. If you do not have a piece of crusty bread to soak up your mussel broth, you basically are not eating them correctly. So when my mother wanted to make this recipe for me, I literally scoffed because it just didn't sound like it was up my alley. I am proud to say that I was wrong because when she spooned me a mouthful of the breadcrumb mixture that goes along with the mussels, I literally gasped. The breadcrumbs themself are one of the best things i've tasted so far in 2020. I can't wait to stuff other things with them. I'm thinking mushrooms.
Ingredients:
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1 lemon juiced
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil + 3tbsp olive oil
9 sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup julienned basil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 lemon juiced
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay)
3 pounds mussels, cleaned
1. In a food processor pulse together breadcrumbs, garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil and lemon juice. Add in the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Add in the toasted pine nuts and pulse a few times to just lightly chop the pine nuts. Set mixture aside.
2. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil and white wine in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Add in mussels and cover the pot. Cook until mussels have fully opened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Make sure to discard any shells that have not opened. Add the basil breadcrumbs and toss to combine gently.
3. Serve hot with crusty bread to soak up any extra pan juices.
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1 lemon juiced
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil + 3tbsp olive oil
9 sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup julienned basil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 lemon juiced
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay)
3 pounds mussels, cleaned
1. In a food processor pulse together breadcrumbs, garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil and lemon juice. Add in the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Add in the toasted pine nuts and pulse a few times to just lightly chop the pine nuts. Set mixture aside.
2. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil and white wine in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Add in mussels and cover the pot. Cook until mussels have fully opened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Make sure to discard any shells that have not opened. Add the basil breadcrumbs and toss to combine gently.
3. Serve hot with crusty bread to soak up any extra pan juices.
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