A lot has been happening in the world since my last post. G is currently on a 3 week tour with his band and I have a lot of free time on my hands, which I've not completely been able to enjoy because of how much the Palestinian genocide has permeated my thoughts and daily conversations with others. It weighs heavily on my mind and I worry we're watching what little humanity we have left be torn to shreds, dividing us as people even further than we've ever been, on a global scale. Still no ceasefire. It robs the appetite, and I have not been cooking well or eating much on my own. These mussels were something I whipped up with stuff from my pantry, they are nutritious, cheap, and just fancy enough to seem like more effort than they were, but only require 15 minutes to prep and cook, start to finish.
I'm grateful to live within walking distance of the better kind of supermarket in NYC. They regularly stock interesting seafood like swai, monkfish, and jump tiger shrimp. I got a tray of a half pound of green mussels already on the half shell for about 5 bucks; a fraction of what they would cost served at a restaurant.
I would not sub black mussels for this recipe, in my opinion they are not as stand-alone as green-lipped mussels, which are native to New Zealand and unique in their larger size and chewier texture. According to Healthline, "The green-lipped mussel is a staple food of the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand’s coasts. Interest in the mussel’s potential health benefits began in the early 1970s and stemmed from the observation that Māori people had a lower incidence of arthritis than people who lived inland." Turns out it's because these green-lipped mussels are rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, as well as zinc, iron, selenium, and several B-vitamins. Gotta love filter feeders! |
| you can see the green lip clearly on some of these shells |
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound green-lipped mussels
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 tsp shichimi togarashi
- 1/4 cup cilantro, or parsley, chopped and packed
- 1 big clove of garlic finely minced
- 1/8 tsp lemon zest OR granulated yuzu zest
- 1/8 freshly ground black pepper
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 tbsp good olive oil
- Preheat the broiler. On a sheet pan lay out the mussels on their half shell.
- In a bowl, combine all other ingredients and mix well.
- Spoon mixture over the mussels, covering the meat of each one well.
- Stick in broiler under the panko is golden brown on top. For my broiler that was 10-15min, for some ovens it might be 5 min so keep an eye out for burning.
- The shells will be hot so give it a minute and then enjoy.
