Mussel Stuffing
I adapted this recipe to serve as a main dish for fall. I always serve it with a salad on the side for a light contrast to the dish.
I adapted this recipe to serve as a main dish for fall. I always serve it with a salad on the side for a light contrast to the dish.
- Carbohydrate 57.7447528351193 g
- Cholesterol 44.7352878686955 mg
- Fat 9.59305636638652 g
- Fiber 2.64716671069463 g
- Protein 35.0180906993134 g
- Saturated Fat 1.9432141914587 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (494g)
- Sodium 12178.3581869347 mg
- Sugar 55.0975861244247 g
- Trans Fat 1.57244447927606 g
- Calories 473 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 375. Toss bread with 2 tbsp oil and salt and pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and toasted.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat remaining 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. About 8 minutes. Deglaze with wine or 1/4 cup stock, making sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Add 1 cup stock and 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Season with more salt and pepper. (I add a dash of red pepper flakes at this point as well). Add mussels and cook, covered, until shells have opened, about 3 minutes. Remove the mussels into a bowl and set aside to cool.
- Once they are cool enough to handle, just a few minutes usually, remove the mussels from the shell and return to the broth. Make sure any of the veggies that came out with the shells make it back into the broth as well as the liquid left on the bottom of your mussel bowl. Discard shells. Adjust seasoning in the broth.
- In a large bowl, or even in the same large pot, combine the bread with the broth mixture and toss. Let it stand for ten minutes.
- Transfer mixture to an oiled 2-quart baking dish and drizzle with oil. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes; uncover and continue baking for about 25 minutes more, until the top is golden brown and firm.
Feeding a crowd on a budget requires using affordable proteins to stretch expensive pantry items. Mussels cost a fraction of other seafood varieties yet deliver immense briny depth, turning standard Italian bread into a substantial main dish. Scaling this recipe up or down demands precise management of the liquid ratio. Bread absorbs moisture rapidly, so doubling the batch does not mean doubling the stock linearly. Add the chicken stock in stages until the cubed bread feels uniformly spongy before baking, preventing a dry interior. Cooking the aromatics in olive oil until soft takes roughly 8 minutes over medium heat, building the foundational savory base that seasons the entire casserole. Toasting the bread cubes at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes ensures they retain structural integrity without dissolving into mush during the final bake. Leftover portions store well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat individual servings in a skillet with a splash of water to revive the crisp top crust without overcooking the seafood.
