Grilled mussels with parsley and Parmesan

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 450 g mussels (fresh or thawed)
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
• 2 tbsp parsley (freshly chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ tbsp black pepper (coarsely ground)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Mejillones asados ​​con perejil y queso – terrific tapas specialty from Spain

Brush the mussels thoroughly, remove the beards, and scrape any debris from the shells with a knife. Discard any mussels with broken shells. Cook in boiling water in a large pot for about 5 minutes. Drain the water. Discard any closed mussels. Remove and discard the top half of any mussels that are intact, leaving the mussel meat in the bottom shell. Place the mussels in an ovenproof dish, close together so that the individual shells cannot tip over. Preheat the grill to high and, while they are heating up, mix the butter, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper, and finely chopped garlic in a bowl. Place a small mound of the cheese and herb mixture on each mussel—don’t be stingy, or the mussels will dry out. Grill for 2-3 minutes, until the mussels sizzle and are golden yellow. Serve in bowls, using a teaspoon to eat, as the usual “bowl tongs” aren’t possible. Serve with plenty of bread for scooping up the tasty sauce.