BAKED MUSSELS WITH BREADCRUMBS & PECORINO

Mussels are a delicious, healthy and much underappreciated seafood – they’re also reassuringly inexpensive. This dish, which has become a classic at Vico, draws on the tradition of tiella barese, a kind of baked mussel risotto typical of the city of Bari on the Adriatic Sea.

Serves 4-6 as a starter, 2-3 as a main (or 10-20 as a canapé)

1kg (2lb 4oz) mussels 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced 6tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 pinch dried chilli flakes 300g (10½oz) fresh breadcrumbs 75g (2¾oz) Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan) A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped Zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 lemon, cut into wedges Salt and freshly ground black pepper Clean and beard the mussels, discarding any open ones that don’t close when tapped. In a wide pan over a high heat, fry the garlic in the oil until it is just starting to colour at the edges. Add the cleaned mussels and the chilli flakes. Cover and cook until the mussels start to open. Pick the open mussels out of the pan and set aside, leaving the stubbornly closed ones in until they open. Reserve the cooking juices.

In a bowl mix the breadcrumbs with the mussel juices, Pecorino Romano, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning – it will need pepper, maybe salt, and maybe a hint more chilli. Discard any unopened mussels and prepare the rest by discarding one half of each shell, leaving the meat attached to the other half. Cover the meat of each with about a dessertspoon of the seasoned breadcrumbs. (Up to this point the mussels can be prepared ahead and kept in the fridge for a day or two.)

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C/gas 7. Lay the mussels in a single layer on a baking tray, breadcrumbs facing up. Bake for around 10 minutes until golden brown, then serve with the lemon wedges.