Grilled Mussels With Cracked Black Pepper

Total Time: 15 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 lbs fresh mussels
• black pepper, in a mill (best quality)

Recipe

• 1 scrub the mussels, rinse in several changes of water and trim the beards, if any.
• 2 heat a large skillet (cast iron is best) over high heat -- a dry skillet.
• 3 when the skillet is very hot, put all of the mussels into it and shake the pan.
• 4 the mussels will begin to open immediately. it will sound almost like popcorn. this is the mussels opening up and releasing there juices into the hot pan.
• 5 continue shaking the pan until all the mussels have opened. this should not take any more than 5 min at the most. they cook quickly and you don't want to overcook them.
• 6 remove from the heat and season generously with black pepper.
• 7 transfer the mussels in the skillet to a table or spoon the mussels into individual bowls.
• 8 serve immediately.