Packages of cold-smoked shellfish are often found on grocery shelves. It’s not a new method of preserving the ocean’s bounty. We decided to change things up and hot smoke our mussels instead. We use the grill instead of the smoker because we prefer the higher heat for cooking mollusks. The subtle smoke flavor is the perfect accent to bring out the sweet flavor of the mussels. As an added benefit you can pull any extra mussels from their shells and chill them in the leftover broth as a base for an amazing cold soup. You can use this technique with clams and even gild the lily by adding aromatics, like garlic, herbs, or curry, to the pan. We recommend that you try them straight up at least once to truly appreciate the flavors that blossom. We served these with a loaf of good bread, sweet butter, chilled white wine, and good company. Nothing more was needed.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 2 as an entrée or 4 as an appetizer
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Turn a grill on high heat. Put wood chips—we like apple or hickory—in a disposable pie tin and set it on the grill. Give the wood chips time to begin to smoke; depending on the size of your chips this may take anywhere from 2 to 8 minutes.
Step 2
Put the mussels in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Rinse them well and remove the small beard from each mussel. Drain the mussels and put them in a disposable aluminum lasagna pan.
Step 3
Put the pan of mussels on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 5 minutes. Lift the lid and quickly stir the mussels. Close the lid and smoke for another 5 minutes. At this point the mussel shells should be open. If not, close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Do not overcook or your mussels will be tough and stringy.
Step 4
Remove the pan from the grill and pour the contents into a large bowl. With the grill still on and the wood still smoking, cut the bread into thick slices and quickly grill each side. Put the grilled bread on a plate and serve alongside the smoked mussels.
