In a heavy-bottomed pot set over a medium-high heat, add the wine, lemon juice, and the mussels. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove the mussels. Remove the mussels from their shells, and roughly chop them. Separate 9 mussel shells so that you will have 18 half shells. Strain and reserve the cooking broth.
In a saute pan over a medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the tasso and cook, stirring until the fat is rendered, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the chopped mussels, chili sauce, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, and fill the reserved mussel shells half way with the stuffing.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir to make a light roux, being careful not to let it brown. Slowly add the reserved mussel broth and the remaining salt and pepper, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
With teaspoon, place a dollop of the sauce over each mussel, and seal the edges with the cupped side of the spoon. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a small mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and water. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs and cheese. Remove the mussels from the refrigerator, and dip each mussel, stuffing-side down into the egg wash, followed by the bread crumbs.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep saute pan to 360 degrees. Fry the mussels in batches, stuffed-side down, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve hot with the Roasted Garlic Aioli.
For Roasted Garlic Aioli: In a food processor or blender, blend the egg, mustard, lemon juice, and garlic for 20 seconds. With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil through the feed tube and process until the mixture emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper and pulse to blend. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed, keeping only for 1 day.
This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.
