Oven-Roasted Mussels with Lemon, Garlic, and Wheat Beer Recipe

I love mussels. They are another ingredient that has endless possibilities and combinations, but if you’ve had beer-steamed mussels once, you’ve had them a thousand times. I’ve always been a proponent of roasting mussels, and this recipe provides you with a unique experience: smoky, firm, and just enough chew. Tossing with wheat beer and lemon at the end adds a great acidic counterpoint to the sweetness of the roasted garlic and mussels.

Active preparation time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2–3

1 lb (454 g) fresh mussels, rinsed and debearded
3 Tbs garlic, minced
½ cup (118 ml) olive oil, divided
¼ cup (59 ml) Aspen Brewing Company Silver City
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbs parlsey, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Crusty bread for serving

Set the oven to broil and allow it to preheat.

In a mixing bowl, toss the mussels with the garlic and ¼ cup (59 ml) of the olive oil. Place the mussels with the garlic and oil in a large pan and place directly under the broiler. Cook until all the mussels have opened and the garlic has begun to brown.

Meanwhile, in a second mixing bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, beer, lemon juice, and parsley and mix well. Remove the mussels from the oven when they’re finished roasting and pour the entire pan’s contents into the second mixing bowl. Toss well and season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Beer Suggestions: Pair with the remaining Aspen Brewing Company Silver City (Aspen, Colorado), a subtly kettle-soured wheat beer. Other wheat-beer possibilities include Allagash Brewing Company White (Portland, Maine) and Westbrook Brewing Company White Thai (Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina).

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PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER CINA