143Mussel pilaf

Method

Thessaloniki tavern-style mussel pilaf. Serve warm with lemon wedges and a crisp white wine such as Assyrtiko or Malagousia.

You will need

• large wide pot with lid
• fine mesh sieve
• measuring jug
• clean kitchen towel

1. Place the cleaned mussels and dry white wine into a wide heavy pot over high heat, cover with a tight lid, and steam for 3 to 4 minutes until all the shells pop open. 4 min Ready when: mussel shells have opened fully
2. Strain the pot juices through a fine sieve lined with kitchen paper to catch any grit, reserve this broth, and discard any mussels that failed to open. 3 min Ready when: broth is clear and sand-free
3. Remove the cooked mussel meats from their shells, keeping a few in their half-shells for serving if desired, and set them aside on a plate. 5 min Ready when: plump mussel meats separated
4. Measure the reserved mussel broth and top up with hot water if necessary to reach exactly 650 ml of total liquid. 2 min Ready when: liquid measured precisely
5. Wipe out the pot, pour in the olive oil, and gently sauté the chopped brown onion and spring onions over medium heat for 4 minutes until soft and translucent. 4 min Ready when: onions are glossy and soft without browning
6. Add the sliced garlic and the rinsed rice, stirring constantly for 2 minutes to toast the grains and coat them thoroughly in the fragrant oil. 2 min Ready when: rice edges become glassy and aromatic
7. Pour in the 650 ml of hot mussel broth, add the salt and black pepper, bring to a lively boil, then lower the heat to low, cover with the lid, and cook undisturbed for 12 minutes. 12 min Ready when: liquid is mostly absorbed and small steam holes appear on the rice surface
8. Scatter the shelled mussels, chopped dill, and lemon juice over the rice, stir through very gently, remove from heat, cover with a clean tea towel and the pot lid, and leave to rest for 8 minutes before serving. 8 min Ready when: rice is tender and fluffy, mussels heated through

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Make ahead and storing

Best eaten freshly made, but keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Substitutions

• frozen shelled mussel meats for fresh mussels in shells. Use 400 g thawed mussel meats and replace steaming broth with vegetable or fish stock.

Common mistakes

• Boiling the mussels alongside the rice for the full cooking duration. Cooking delicate mussel meats for 15 to 20 minutes renders them rubbery, dry, and shrivelled.
• Failing to strain the steaming mussel broth through paper or fine cloth. Natural seabed sand and shell fragments will ruin the texture of the pilaf.

Regional variants

• Politiko midopilafo, made with pine nuts, currants, and a pinch of ground cinnamon
• Kokkinisto midopilafo, prepared with a spoonful of grated fresh summer tomato

About the dish

Mussel pilaf is the signature culinary emblem of the Thermaic Gulf and Northern Greece, home to the country's celebrated mussel-farming waters around Chalastra and Pieria. The recipe is deeply rooted in the foodways of Constantinople and Asia Minor refugees who settled throughout Thessaloniki and Macedonia in the 1920s. While some northern versions include sweet spices such as cinnamon, allspice, and pine nuts, the everyday classic simmers local parboiled or medium-grain rice directly in the briny, strained mussel liquor with plenty of spring onions, dill, and black pepper.

Found in Macedonia, Thrace, Attica. Cooked for everyday, lent, sunday lunch, summer.

Cousins elsewhere

• Midye dolma (Turkish). Turkish midye dolma stuffs the spiced rice into the individual mussel shells, whereas the Greek Macedonian dish cooks them together as a pot pilaf.
• Arroz con mejillones (Spanish). Both celebrate coastlines by simmering short rice in fresh strained mussel liquor.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

691 kcal · protein 35.5 g · fat 24.4 g (saturated 3.6 g) · carbohydrate 75.2 g (sugars 2.3 g) · fibre 3.2 g · sodium 1012 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Following the Macedonian seaside tavern tradition of Thessaloniki and Thermaikos..