Seafood Steward's

Mussels for Eileen

(serves 6 as an entree or 12 as an appetizer)

Ingredients

4-dozen Blue Mussels (steamed, removed from shells - save the shells), 10-ounce package of spinach (thaw, squeeze out all excess moisture and chop), 8 strips bacon (crisply fried and finely minced), 1 large red bell pepper (finely minced), 1 medium red onion (finely minced), 1/2-cup parsley (finely minced), 1&1/2-cups shredded parmesan cheese, 4 large garlic cloves (finely minced), 2-Tablespoons lemon or lime juice, 1-cup mayonnaise, 1-cup bread crumbs, Tabasco sauce (to taste), salt & pepper (to taste).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine all ingredients (except mussels) in a large mixing bowl.  Thorougly mix ingredients by hand until well blended.  Everything should cling together.  Add seasonings to taste. 

Place a small amount of ingredient mixture in the bottom of each mussel shell - just enough to coat the bottom.  Then place a mussel on top of the mixture in each shell.  Cover each mussel with additional mixture, mounding it on top. 

Place stuffed shells on a rack in a sheet pan and bake at 450-degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until mussels brown.  You can also bake oysters in the same manner using this mixture. 

Serve with a melange of fresh, ripe fruit, such as mango, papaya and kiwi.  Add a warm French baguette and a well-chilled champagne and you will definitely qualify for "hero" status. 

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