Pancetta Wrapped Mussels With Basil

Photo: flickr user adactio

Ingredients

1/2 cup dry white wine

40 large mussels (2 pounds), scrubbed

1/4 pound very thinly sliced pancetta

40 smalls basil leaves

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 500° or light a grill. In a large pot, bring the wine to a boil. Add the mussels, cover and cook over high heat until they open, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a bowl; discard any that do not open. Strain the cooking liquid into a small bowl.

Remove the mussels from their shells. Unroll the pancetta slices and cut them into forty 3-inch-long strips. Arrange the strips on a work surface. Place a basil leaf at the base of each strip, top with a mussel and roll up. Thread the mussels onto skewers.

Brush the skewers with some of the mussel cooking liquid. Roast the mussels in a cast-iron skillet in the upper third of the oven, or grill over high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and crisp, about 2 minutes. Brush the cooked mussels with the cooking liquid a second time and serve right away.