Stuffed Mussels

Method11 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Soak the currants (1/4 cup) in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

   Soak currants · 15 minUses 1/4 cup currants · Warm water as needed to soak currants

2. 2

   Step 2: Rinse the rice under cold water and drain well.

   Uses 120 g short grain white rice

3. 3

   Step 3: Heat the olive oil (1/3 cup) and sauté the chopped onions (2). Add pine nuts (1/4 cup) and cook until lightly golden. Stir in the chopped tomato (1), tomato paste (1 tbsp), salt (2 pinch), black pepper (2 teaspoon) and cinnamon (1 teaspoon) and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the rinsed rice and drained currants and combine.

   Cook tomato and spices after sautéing onions and nuts · 5 minUses 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil · 2 medium onions (finely chopped) · 1/4 cup pine nuts · 1 tomato (finely chopped) · 1 tbsp tomato paste · 2 pinch sea salt · 2 teaspoon black pepper · 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4. 4

   Step 4: Add the filling’s 1 cup boiling water to just cover the rice. Stir, bring to a simmer and cook over the lowest heat for about 15 minutes, until the rice absorbs the water.

   Cook rice · 15 minUses Rice currant tomato and pine nut filling base · 1 cup boiling water for the rice filling

5. 5

   Step 5: Cool the filling enough to handle, then mix in the chopped parsley and dill (1/3 cup).

   Uses Cooked rice currant and pine nut filling · 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley (finely chopped) · 1/3 cup fresh dill (finely chopped)

6. 6

   Step 6: Before opening, discard cracked mussels (40) and any open shells that do not close when tapped. Scrub the remaining shells, rinse in cold water and remove the beards. Keep chilled until preparing. Hold each mussel securely and carefully open it just enough with a shellfish knife for stuffing.

   Uses 40 live mussels, cleaned and debearded

7. 7

   Step 7: Strain the liquid released by the opened mussels into a container. Mix this collected mussel liquid with the separate 1 cup cooking water and set aside.

   Uses Cleaned slightly opened live mussels · 1 cup water for cooking stuffed mussels

8. 8

   Step 8: Put about 3 teaspoons filling into each slightly opened mussel. Close the shells and wipe away excess filling.

   Uses Prepared open mussel shells for stuffing · Complete cooked rice and herb filling

9. 9

   Step 9: Pack the filled mussels close together in a pan with their tips pointing upward to limit opening during cooking.

   Uses Rice-filled mussels

10. 10

    Step 10: Pour the collected mussel-liquid mixture over the packed mussels. If needed, add only enough extra water to reach halfway up the shells. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes, until the mussel flesh is fully cooked to 63°C (145°F).

    Cook mussels · 20 minUses Packed stuffed mussels · Strained mussel liquid with one cup cooking water · Additional cooking water if needed to reach halfway up the mussel shells

11. 11

    Step 11: Remove from the heat. Cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate for about 1 hour until chilled; do not leave the cooked seafood cooling indefinitely at room temperature. Serve cold with lemon wedges.

    Refrigerate cooked stuffed mussels until chilled · 60 minUses Fully cooked rice-stuffed mussels · Lemon wedges, to serve