Mussels au gratin

To make the mussels au gratin, first of all clean them, discarding any open mussels and keeping only the closed ones. After rinsing them under running water 1, remove the beard that sticks out of the shells, by pulling outwards 2. Open the mussel gently by inserting a small knife at the point where it splits and go all the way around 3,

making sure that when you open it, the mussel remains intact and attached to the shell 4. Repeat the process with all of the mussels and keep their water 5, filtering it through a strainer 6, as this will be used later on to wet the breadcrumbs.

As you open the mussels, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper 7. Next, prepare the breadcrumbs. Pour them into a bowl, together with the grated Grana Padano cheese 8, the chopped fresh parsley 9,

the zest of the lemon 10, a crushed garlic clove 11 and a sprinkling of black pepper 12.

Now pour in 2½ tbsp (30 g) of olive oil 13 and ? cup (150 g) of filtered mussel water 14. Stir to achieve a smooth, moist mixture 15.

Using a spoon, stuff the mussels 16, drizzle them with olive oil 17, and bake them on the top shelf of a conventional oven preheated to 390°F (200°C) for 12 minutes and then on maximum power in broil mode for another 3 minutes. Once cooked, take your mussels au gratin out of the oven and serve immediately 18.