At this week’s Farmers’ Market, we took a look at one of the most underrated seafood options that’s available in almost every grocery store; mussels. Mussels are a fantastic option, because not only are the completely sustainable and mostly harvested in a clean farming system, but they’re also incredibly healthy. Did you know that mussels have almost as much of the heart healthy Omega 3 fatty acids as salmon does?

Mussels are also incredibly versatile. For this recipe, we literally just tossed the raw mussels on a hot grill and after about a minute, they open and as soon as they open, they’re ready to eat. You can garnish them with virtually any kind of toppings that you like. Drizzle over some lemon juice and basil. Maybe a little sour cream and dill? For our recipe, we made a quick pickled pepper relish and then drizzled over a really simple lemon aioli. We finished it off with a few sprigs of cilantro (or if you’re not a cilantro lover, you can use virtually any other herb that you like) and we had an amazing platter of seafood that could be used as an appetizer or as an entrée. Either way, this is a dish that is absolutely worth making!

We’ve also include a video version of the recipe below!

Recipe: Grilled Mussels with Pickled Pepper Relish and Lemon Aioli

Ingredients:
2 lbs of fresh mussels
1 red pepper, diced
½ red onion, finely diced
½ cup of sherry vinegar
¼ cup of sugar
½ cup of mayonnaise
2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed (to taste)
Juice of half a lemon
Salt & Pepper
Cilantro

Directions:
1)      Add sherry and sugar to a sauce pot and place on a stove over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add in the diced peppers and onions and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 1.5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add to a bowl, and chill.
2)      Add the mayo, lemon juice, and crushed garlic to a bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3)      Dump the mussels onto a hot grill and cover. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the mussels completely open. Discard any mussels that don’t open.
4)      Place mussels on a serving platter and garnish with the relish and a drizzle of the aioli. Sprinkle cilantro leaves on top and serve.

Video Link: http://youtu.be/U_Kq50733UM