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The DIY BBQ Cookbook by James Whetlor (Quadrille, £20) Photography: Sam Folan
How to Cook Mussels on the BBQ
Cooking mussels directly on the grill can be fun but also a bit hectic. You will have about 20 and they will cook at different rates, so you'll need to remove them as they open up. Don't be put off though, it's fun!
Suitable for
all BBQs
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 100g ’nduja, or spicy cooking chorizo
- 40ml extra virgin olive oil
- 150g sourdough, torn into small pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 800g mussels, scrubbed and beards removed (discard any that are open or broken)
- A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the BBQ to a medium heat.
Heat half the ’nduja and half the olive oil in a frying pan over the BBQ and fry the sourdough for two-to-three minutes until golden brown all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Wipe out the pan, add the garlic with the remaining oil and gently cook without letting it brown, then stir in the remaining ’nduja with 100ml water and keep it by the BBQ.
When the grill is hot, have a pair of tongs and the pan at the ready. Spread the mussels out over the grill and, as the mussels open, use the tongs to transfer them to the pan with the ’nduja and garlic, trying to keep any juices. Discard any that don’t open.
When the mussels are all cooked, return the pan to the grill to heat through and stir in the fried sourdough and parsley. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste, then serve.
