- 1/4 cup water
- 48 cultivated mussels (2 pounds), rinsed well
- 1 1/2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs from a crusty Italian loaf
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Accompaniment: lemon wedges
- Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
- Bring water with mussels to a boil in a wide 5-quart heavy pot, covered, then boil, covered, shaking pot occasionally, until mussels just open wide, 3 to 4 minutes. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid, and cool to room temperature.
- Put 48 half mussel shells with mussels attached in a large shallow baking pan (discard other halves) and drizzle with some of reserved cooking liquid.
- Stir together remaining ingredients, then top each mussel with about 1 teaspoon of mixture.
- Bake until crumbs are golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.