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Impepata di cozze
Peppered mussels
Impepata di cozze: Naples's mussels steamed open with black pepper, garlic and parsley
Impepata, "peppered", is the simplest and most loved mussel dish in Naples, especially on Holy Thursday before Easter, when it is traditional: live mussels steamed open in a hot pan with a little garlic and olive oil and a huge amount of freshly ground black pepper, finished with parsley and lemon and eaten with bread to soak up the juices. Chef's tip: grind the pepper coarsely and fresh, right over the pan; pre-ground pepper tastes dusty and flat.
- Total time
- 23 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 ⅜ lb live musselsscrubbed, beards removed
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tsp black peppercoarsely ground, plus more to taste
- 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse 4 ⅜ lb live mussels in cold water. Throw away any with broken shells, and any open ones that don't close when tapped on the counter.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large pan with 2 cloves garlic for 1 minute over a high heat.
1 minStep 3: Add the mussels, cover and cook for 4–6 minutes, shaking the pan, until they open. Discard any that stay closed. Common mistake: overcooking; the mussels shrink and turn rubbery. Take them off the heat as soon as they open.
6 minStep 4: Grind 2 tsp black pepper generously over the pan, add 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and toss.
Step 5: Serve at once in bowls with the juices, 1 lemon and bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does impepata di cozze take?
- About 23 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of flat-leaf parsley?
- Curly parsley or coriander, same amount.
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