Marinated Mussels With Grilled Bread

This simple marinade helps elevate a tin of mussels into the star of any show. Garlic, smoked paprika, and a medley of spices and aromatics are slowly cooked in extra olive oil, then sherry vinegar and a touch of honey join to add a bright pop and a subtle sweetness. Our tinned mussels are then folded right into the marinade, before being devoured on grilled sourdough, with a few sprigs of parsley and a charred lemon for extra credit.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for grilling the bread
• 2-3 large cloves garlic (depending on your taste for garlic), microplaned or finely minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, or dried oregano in a pinch
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Sea salt to season
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tin Ekone Mussels, drained
• 2 pieces thick cut sourdough bread
• ½ lemon
• A few sprigs of parsley to serve

Instructions:

1. In a small frying pan set over medium low heat, add the olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, marjoram, black pepper, red pepper flakes and a small pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, until the garlic has had time to soften and the other ingredients’ aromas have fully bloomed.
2. Take off the heat and add the sherry vinegar and mussels.
3. Set a grill pan over medium high heat. Generously drizzle both sides of your bread with olive oil.
4. When the pan is quite hot but not yet smoking, add the bread and the halved lemon to the pan.
5. Grill the bread for 3-4 minutes per side, until dark char lines have formed and the bread is properly crispy.
6. Grill the lemon until it’s deeply charred and the sugars on the surface have caramelized, this should take a similar amount of time as the bread takes to toast.
7. Serve the marinated mussels warm or at room temperature, alongside the grilled bread, charred lemon, and a few sprigs of parsley.