Nici Wickes: Buttery mussel and sake buns

BBQ mussels are just the best! When they pop open their shells on the grill you can sneak all manner of interesting flavours into them – in this recipe it’s butter, soy sauce and a splash of sake that gives them that authentic Japanese BBQ house taste. Once cooked, pluck ‘em out of the shells, tuck them into a small soft bun, or pop them on a mound of rice, with shredded cabbage and plenty of sesame dressing and eat. I guarantee you’ll be in heaven! 

Makes 8-12 sliders 

Ingredients: 

16-24 mussels in shells 

1 lemon, halved 

8-12 sliders or small soft white rolls 

50g butter, softened 

¼ cup tamari soy sauce 

¼ cup sake 

½ cup store bought sesame salad dressing 

2 cups finely shredded cabbage 

Method: 

Give mussels a quick scrub and remove hairy beards by gripping firmly and pulling towards the rounded tip of the shell. 

Place mussels on grill plate of BBQ and cook until the shells begin to pop open. Place lemon cut side down to grill also. 

As each mussel pops open, sneak a small knob of butter into each, as well as a teaspoon of tamari soy sauce. Allow to cook for a few minutes then douse in sake and toss on the grill. Remove from grill. 

Liberally butter tops of each bun and grill each until butter is foamy and tops have turned golden – watch them as they like go from golden to burnt rather quickly! 

TO SERVE: Set all ingredients out on a board for diners to build their own buns stuffed with mussels and cabbage and drizzled in sesame dressing and a squeeze of warm lemon juice. 

MAKE IT YOUR OWN: 

Add in a little slice of daikon radish into each bun for extra crunch
Flag the buns and serve with little bowls of slaw and rice
Use softened butter blended with lemongrass and lime leaves instead of sake for a Thai-inspired flavour
Make it Spanish with olive oil in place of butter and a thin slice of chorizo tucked into each mussel
No mussels? Make little foil parcels of using snapper instead, cooking them on the bbq for about 10-15 minutes

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