Cozze Gratinate

Eat cozze gratinate with me on a small-group Southern Italian food & wine tour – see video below!
Cozze Gratinate (mussels au gratin) on a bed of rock salt

Cozze gratinate, often called mussels au gratin, is a recipe that busts the myth that seafood and cheese don’t go together in Italian cuisine. I don’t always love mussels, but when I have them like this in southern Italy, with a crunchy, cheesy breadcrumb topping, I love them. Mussels au gratin are delicious as finger food for a party and a simple, tasty starter anytime. A good parmesan cheese – Grana Padano, young Parmigiano-Reggiano or an Italian pecorino – combine with the mussel cooking liquor to give these cozze gratinate a delicious umami hit, while the parsley and lemon zest add a touch of freshness. Pour a glass of Italian-inspired De Iuliis Sangiovese Rosé Special Release and take a vicarious Italian holiday.

Serves 2 as a starter

Ingredients
  • 12 blue mussels, scrubbed
  • ¾ cup fine fresh bread crumbs (90g/3¼oz)
  • 2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (50ml)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan (7g/¼oz)
  • 1½ tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt flakes, to taste
  • Rock salt, for grilling and serving
Method
  1. Shuck and debeard the mussels over a bowl to catch the liquor (learn how to store and shuck mussels here).
  2. Strain mussel liquor and set liquor and mussels on the half shell aside.
  3. Place breadcrumbs, oil, parmesan, parsley, garlic and cayenne in a mixing bowl.
  4. Finely grate lemon zest over the top.
  5. Add 2 tablespoons (40ml) of the mussel liquor and mix to combine everything well.
  6. Taste and add salt if needed, remembering that the mussel liquor and parmesan are both quite salty.
  7. Pack breadcrumb mixture into the shells covering the mussels well.
  8. Arrange mussels on a bed of rock salt on a baking tray.
  9. Drizzle with a little extra oil.
  10. Preheat overhead grill to high.
  11. Place mussels under it and grill for 3 minutes or so, until well-coloured.
  12. Arrange cozze gratinate on a bed of rock salt and serve with a small fork.
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What Other Travellers Say

Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Relaxed, organised and well-paced – a wonderful bespoke small group tour, starting in Rome, then travelling down the Amalfi Coast to stay at a family estate where we were treated like old friends. This tour included some hidden gems too, notably on our way to Matera, a fascinating town built into the side of a mountain. We finished with Naples and Pompeii – with plenty of wine and more new tastes. Roberta is a specialist and very personable as she hosts and explains every detail of the food and wine experience.
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
I’ve been on three of Roberta’s food and wine tours so far and each one has been an amazing well-organised experience. From historic Rome and Pompeii to the spectacular Amalfi Coast, remarkable Venice and the charming villages of Switzerland, each tour offers something special. Then there’s the food in fabulous places where you can truly eat like a local. I highly recommend Roberta’s tours to anyone who wants to discover inspired travel through great food, wine and company. I’m already looking forward to the next one!
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
Starting in Rome then spending time on the Amalfi Coast and further south before heading back to Rome for the last couple of days made for a nice ‘round trip’. Roberta’s choice of eateries was excellent with some very enjoyable meals – and a nice mix of other activities, like vineyard visits, between meals. Everything was very well organised: transport, nice hotels in close proximity to most activities, and a relaxed pace with enough time to follow your nose if that took your fancy. A very worthwhile tour and I’m already looking forward to another!
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
I absolutely recommend Roberta’s Southern Italy tour! We’ve always been independent travellers so were a little apprehensive – by day 2 we knew we’d made a great decision! Roberta knows people and places far from the tourist trail so we visited wineries where we were always invited for lunch as well as wine-tasting, a family lemon grove high on the Amalfi Coast and a 3rd generation cheesemaker. We stayed in a stunning cave hotel in Matera and a gorgeous family hotel in Scala – and book-ended the tour with the vibrancy of Rome. So many highlights, such a brilliant experience. We will do another tour with Roberta.
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