Spain may have won the World Cup, but get ready to celebrate with the French! Bastille Day is July 14th, in honor of the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille, and it is France’s national holiday! Mussels with Herb and Smoked Paprika Croutons are one of our most favorite yummy French recipes!!

Ingredients

Mussels
2 pounds mussels
1/2 cup dry white wine

Herb and Smoked Paprika Croutons
5 slices plain white sandwich bread
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon fresh chervil, chopped  (can substitute parsley)
1 Tablespoon tarragon, chopped
1 Tablespoon chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Methods/Steps:

Cook Mussels: Scrub mussels well under running water and pull off any beards right before use. Discard any broken mussels or any mussels that don’t close when given a slight squeeze. In a pot or large sauté pan, bring the wine to a boil. Add the mussels. Cover and cook over high heat, shaking the pot until the mussels open, 4 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer the mussels to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool. Pour the mussel cooking liquid into a bowl. Stain liquid and reserve for assembly.

Make Croutons: Preheat broiler. Stack bread and cut off the crust. Cut the bread into tiny cubes about 1/4 inch squares. Put the cubes in a medium bowl, set aside. In a small skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the garlic and paprika and cook over moderate heat until fragrant. Scrape the contents of the skillet over the bread cubes. Add the chopped herbs and lemon zest, season with salt and pepper and toss well.

Assemble Mussels: Remove the mussels from their shells. Discard half of each shell and line the half on a sheet pan to stuff. Roughly chop the mussels and spoon some of reserved cooking liquid over the mussels to keep them moist. Divide the chopped mussels amongst the shells, about a tablespoon, and top with the croutons.  Broil 6 inches from the heat for about 1-2 minutes, rotating the pan as necessary, until the bread crumbs are browned and crisp. Serve right away on a platter garnished with parsley.