Olive Crusted Mussels With A Lemon Butter Sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the olives and bread crumbs to make the olive crust. Process until fully incorporated. Remove and turn into a mixing bowl. Stir in the oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the mussels on a baking sheet. Season the mussels with salt and pepper. Place a teaspoon of the crust on top of each mussel, pressing the crust firmly into each mussel. Place in the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Remove the mussels from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Lemon butter sauce: In a medium saute pan, add shallots and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until all the butter is incorporated and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Strain. (Yields 1 cup)

To serve, place a dozen mussels on each serving plate. Drizzle the Lemon Butter Sauce over each mussel. Garnish with parsley.

This recipe yields 4 appetizer servings.