Herb-Topped Mussels On The Half Shell

• 24 medium mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup chopped leek
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup clam juice
• 3 tablespoons half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 (1 1/2-ounce) slice white bread
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 500u0b0.
2. Arrange mussels in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 500u0b0 for 8 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Remove mussels and cooking liquid from dish. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Remove meat from mussels. Reserve 24 shell halves. Discard remaining shells. Arrange reserved mussel shells on a jelly roll pan; place 1 mussel in each shell.
3. Heat a small saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add leek; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in cooking liquid, clam juice, and half-and-half; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 3 minutes). Stir in rind and juice.
4. Preheat broiler.
5. Place bread in a food processor, and process until fine crumbs measure 3/4 cup. Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, oregano, oil, pepper, and bacon. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon sauce over each mussel. Lightly pack 2 teaspoons breadcrumb mixture into each shell. Broil 1 1/2 minutes or until golden.

mussels, cooking spray, leek, garlic, clam juice, lemon rind, lemon juice, white bread, parsley, thyme, fresh oregano, olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, bacon

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/herb-topped-mussels-on-half-shell (may not work)