Grilled Mussels with Cassava Crust and Cilantro Lime Butter
Prep
20 mins
Cook
25 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
My love for coastal flavors inspired this wonderful dish that comes together in under an hour. Grilled mussels topped with a crispy cassava crust and tangy cilantro lime butter create an impressive dinner that looks far more complicated than it actually is. Cassava root is packed with resistant starch, which supports digestive health and keeps you feeling satisfied. What I adore most is how quickly you can prepare this, with just twenty minutes of prep work before the magic happens on the grill. Fresh mussels are also incredibly affordable compared to other seafood, making this an elegant yet budget friendly option for entertaining guests or treating yourself to something special.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 1 kgfresh mussels(cleaned and debearded)
- ½ kgcassava root(peeled, boiled until tender, then finely grated)
- 6 tablespoonsunsalted butter(divided)
- 118 mlfresh cilantro(finely chopped)
- 2lime(zested and juiced)
- 4garlic cloves(minced)
- 118 mlpanko breadcrumbs
- 59 mlparmesan cheese(finely grated)
- 1 teaspoonsea salt
- ½ teaspoonblack pepper
- ¼ teaspoonred chili flakes
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the cassava mixture by combining grated cassava, panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and chili flakes in a bowl. Set aside.
Tip: Squeeze out excess moisture from the grated cassava with a clean kitchen towel to achieve a crispier crust when grilled.
- 2
Make the cilantro lime butter by creaming 4 tablespoons of softened butter with minced garlic, fresh cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tip: Prepare this butter ahead of time and refrigerate; it will firm up and be easier to dollop onto the hot mussels.
- 3
Pat the cleaned mussels dry with paper towels, then arrange them gill-side up on a large baking sheet.
Tip: Discard any mussels that remain open after gently tapping them; they may be dead.
- 4
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400°F). Once hot, carefully place mussels on the grill grates, gill-side up.
Tip: Use a grill mat or small perforated grill pan to prevent mussels from falling through the grates.
- 5
Grill mussels for 3-4 minutes until the shells begin to open slightly. Once opened, immediately spoon the cassava crust mixture onto each mussel's open shell.
Tip: Work quickly as mussels cook; discard any that don't open after 5 minutes.
- 6
Continue grilling for another 4-5 minutes until the cassava crust turns golden brown and crispy. The mussel meat should be opaque and cooked through.
Tip: Rotate the baking sheet or move mussels to different heat zones if they're browning unevenly.
- 7
Remove grilled mussels from heat and transfer to a serving platter. Top each mussel with a generous dollop of the cilantro lime butter.
Tip: The residual heat from the mussels will gently melt the butter over the cassava crust.
- 8
Garnish with additional fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately while the mussels are still hot.
Tip: Provide small seafood forks or picks for guests to easily extract the mussel meat from shells.
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