Relyeno nga Tahong

Method

1. Steam the cleaned mussels with a splash of water just until they open. Discard unopened shells and cool the rest.
2. Remove and chop the mussel meat. Keep the best matching shell pairs, scrub off any loose grit, and pat them dry.
3. Heat oil and cook onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper for 3–4 minutes. Add chopped mussels and fish sauce and cook one minute; cool.
4. Mix the cooled filling with spring onions, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, and pepper. It should be moist but able to mound.
5. Spoon filling into one half-shell and close with the matching shell, or leave open-faced for baking.
6. Bake at 190°C for 12–15 minutes until set and lightly golden, or dust closed shells lightly with flour and shallow-fry until the filling is fully cooked. For either method, open a tester and verify that the egg-bound filling reaches at least 71°C; shell colour alone is not a doneness test.
7. Rest 3 minutes and serve with calamansi or spiced vinegar.