MUSSELS ALLA PIASTRA
- 4 pounds small mussels, such as Prince Edward Island (PEI), scrubbed and debearded
- Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1 cup toasted bread crumbs
- 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch lemon thyme, leaves only
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions:
- PREHEAT A GAS GRILL or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Place a piastra on the grill to preheat for at least 15 minutes.
- Put the mussels in a large metal bowl, add the orange and lemon zest and juice and the jalapeño, and toss gently. (If you don’t have a metal bowl, toss in any large bowl, then use an upside-down roasting pan to cover the mussels when you cook them.) Set aside.
- Place the bread crumbs, prosciutto, lemon thyme, and scallions in a food processor and zap until well mixed, six or seven pulses.
- Pour the olive oil onto the piastra (if your piastra is not large enough, cook the mussels in two batches). Working quickly, dump the mussels (with everything else in the bowl) onto the piastra, scatter the bread crumb mixture over and around them, and cover with the inverted bowl.
- Remove the bowl after 2 minutes and gently stir the mussels around. Continue cooking, uncovered, for about 3 minutes longer, until they all open; transfer the mussels to a platter as they open (discard any that do not open). Scrape up any bread crumb mixture remaining on the piastra, scatter it over the mussels, and serve immediately.