(with a touch of Italian flair, of course, just like Uvongo!)
If you are holidaying here with us on the beautiful Hibiscus Coast then, of course, you have to sample the seafood! We found this lovely simple Italian-style mussel pot recipe you might enjoy. Here’s to la bella vita!
Ingredients –
- 1.8 kg fresh, living mussels
- 120 ml white wine (alternatively, 1 tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley
- 2-4 cloves of garlic (to your taste)
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch of salt
Italian bread slices (optional)
Method –
Pre-Cooking:
Store the living mussels in the fridge, in an uncovered glass bowl, covered with water until ready to use. (Note: Once the mussels have been cleaned, it is important to cook them as soon as possible – within a few hours)
Rinse and scrub the shells to eliminate any trace of seaweed or debris and discard any broken mussels.
One by one, grab each mussel and, pressing it gently but firmly with your fingers, pull the little string (called byssus or beard) that sticks out from the shell and discard it.
Rinse the mussels thoroughly until the water runs clean and store in the fridge until ready to cook.
Cooking:
Rinse and dry the bunch of parsley, then peel and crush the cloves of garlic.
Keep aside a small amount of the parsley for garnish, finely chopped
Place the whole bunch of remaining parsley (un-chopped), the garlic, the olive oil and the mussels in a large pot. Cover with lid and place the pot over high heat.
After 3 minutes, add the white wine, then add the black pepper and a pinch of salt, stirring gently.
Cover again and cook for 5 mins more, or just until the mussels’ shells have opened. (Discard any unopened mussels.)
Remove and discard the parsley.
Serve the mussels in white wine sauce immediately, garnish with the chopped parsley and some lemon slices, together with fresh, crusty slices of Italian bread.
Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of: https://philosokitchen.com/