The mussels are grilled with roast garlic and a little butter. Roasted garlic has a subtly sweet taste that complements the mussels rather than overpowers them. To balance the sweetness, the balsamic vinegar adds a little acidity.
There are so many ways to prepare mussels. The classic method of steaming in white wine is exceptional. These mussels grilled with roast garlic and butter have a few more layers of flavour, yet the mussels are still the star.
I used New Zealand Green Shell Mussels for this mussels with garlic butter recipe. I am so lucky I can buy them frozen in the half shell. A lot of locations claim a have the best mussels in the world. The New Zealand Green Shell mussels are certainly up there with the best. They have a sweet flavour and a delicate, tender, and juicy texture. If you cannot find them in your local supermarket, they are available online. As a last resort, use the best mussels you can find.
Not only are mussels delicious, but they are also high in Omega 3 fatty acids and have anti-inflammatory effects. You can now get an extract of NZ mussels in capsules to support healthy joints and combat arthritis! Combine that with garlic’s health benefits, and you can feel you are doing your health a favour when eating these mussels with roast garlic.
Mussels grilled with roast garlic butter
Ingredients
- 20 Mussels – as a starter allow 4 per person
- 1 head of garlic
- 30 g butter softened
- 1/4 cup parsley finely diced
- 1 lemon – juiced
- balsamic pearls or balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degC
- Cut the pointy end off the head of garlic and lay exposed end up on a sheet of foil.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with a pinch of salt an pepper
- Wrap in the foil
- Cook in the oven for 1 hour
- Remove and allow to cool
- If mussels are fresh, wash them then steam them until they open. Discard any that do not open. Allow to cool. If using frozen mussels, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
- Remove half the shell if using fresh mussles. Remove the beard if there is one.
- Squeeze out the cloves of garlic from the head into a bowl
- Add the butter, lemon juice and parsley and combine
- Arrange mussels on a baking tray
- Add a tsp of the garlic butter to each mussel
- Grill under the broiler for 10 minutes, or until starting to brown.
- Add garnish and serve. I used balsamic pearls. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar would work.
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