Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Bring water and wine to a boil in a wide 5-quart heavy pot; add mussels and cover. Then return to boil, covered, shaking pot occasionally, until mussels just open wide; 3 to 4 minutes. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl, reserving cooking liquid, and cool to room temperature. Continue to gently simmer the cooking liquid. Stir in butter, olive oil, garlic, and herbs and reduce for 2 minutes, then add breadcrumbs and fold in cheese last. Put 48 half-mussel shells with mussels attached in a large, shallow baking pan (discard other halves). Top each mussel with about 1 teaspoon of mixture. Bake until crumbs are golden and crisp; about 5 minutes. Place a dab of Skordalia (garlic sauce) over each stuffed mussel.

Skordalia
Ingredients                                                 Makes 3 cups
2 pounds russet potatoes
½ cup heavy whipping cream
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup ½-inch-diced rustic French bread
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
3 tablespoons almonds
Sea salt to taste

Method

In a large pot, place the potatoes in cold water, enough to cover potatoes by several inches, and turn heat to medium. Once the water begins to boil (takes about 20 minutes), continue to boil until a skewer glides easily through the center of each potato (takes 25 to 30 minutes). Peel the potatoes once they are cool enough to handle. Pass the potatoes through a ricer and slowly whip in the cream. Add garlic to potatoes and mix well. Soak bread cubes in a little water until soft, and then squeeze the water out. Place almonds and bread in a food processor and purée. In a mixing bowl, blend mixture into the potatoes with a fork. Slowly pour the olive oil and vinegar in a steady stream as you continue beating with a fork until the mixture has the consistency of thick mayonnaise. Season with salt and refrigerate until needed.