Stuffed Mussels
6 servings
120 minutes
Stuffed mussels are a labor-intensive but very elegant dish. To prepare it, you need to stock up on time and patience: after all, you will have to fill the shells of small mussels with stuffing. We offer a Turkish recipe with rice, raisins, tomatami and spices.
1
Pour hot water over the raisins and let them sit for 15 minutes, then drain the water.
- Raisin: 30 g
2
Chop the onion.
- Onion: 2 heads
3
Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté chopped onion over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add pine nuts and sauté for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Onion: 2 heads
- Pine nuts: 30 g
4
Add washed rice, raisins, chopped or grated tomato and tomato paste, pour in a glass of water. Add spices, salt and pepper, mix well, cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes until the rice absorbs all the water. At this stage, the rice should be al dente. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Round rice: 110 g
- Raisin: 30 g
- Tomatoes: 1 piece
- Tomato paste: 15 g
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Salt: to taste
5
Add chopped parsley and dill to the cooled rice.
- Parsley: 20 g
- Dill: 20 g
6
Mussels should be thoroughly washed and freed from beards. Then place them in warm water to open up, cutting the meat from one shell so that it remains attached to only one shell.
- Mussels in shells: 30 pieces
7
Fill each mussel with rice filling and close the shells. Place them in a pan so that each subsequent mussel presses down on the previous one's shells, making it harder for them to open during cooking. The mussels should be in a single layer.
8
Cover them with a plate — again, so they don't open during cooking.
9
Pour the mussels with a glass of water, the liquid level should reach the middle of the mussels. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the cooked mussels from the heat, let them cool, and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
- Mussels in shells: 30 pieces
10
Serve with lemon wedges.
- Lemon: to taste