Ingredients
| 3kg mussels | |
| 200ml light olive oil | |
| 2 teaspoons caster sugar | |
| 1 teaspoon salt | |
| 300g plain flour, sieved | |
| 8 eggs, size 6 | |
| 300g green olives, stoned | |
| 1.5 litres cooking oil, neutral |
View the recipe collection here
Instructions
| 1. | Scrub the mussels and remove any beards. |
| 2. | Bring 300ml water to the boil in a large pot, add the mussels and cover. |
| 3. | Steam for 3-4 minutes until the mussels are open. Remove mussels from the pot. |
| 4. | Strain 500ml of the cooking liquid into a clean medium-sized pot. |
| 5. | Add olive oil, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. |
| 6. | Remove from heat and add the flour. |
| 7. | Put over a low heat and use an electric handheld beater to beat to a smooth, glossy dough. |
| 8. | Remove from heat and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes. |
| 9. | Beat the eggs into the dough one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. |
| 10. | Remove mussel meat from the shell (you should have approximately 300g) and coarsely chop with the green olives into ½cm pieces. |
| 11. | Fold the olive and mussel meat into the dough. |
| 12. | Using damp hands, scoop out a scant tablespoon of dough, roll it into a loose ball and place it on baking paper. Repeat for all the dough. |
| 13. | In a large pan, heat oil to 170°C (or when a bread cube browns in 10 seconds). |
| 14. | Cook in batches for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, using a metal spoon to gently swirl the fritters. |
| 15. | Remove from oil to absorbent paper. The fritters can be reheated in a 160°C oven for 4-5 minutes if desired. |
| 16. | Try with fresh lemon and mayonnaise. |
Food styling, recipes & photography David Neville