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Midii cu pilaf
Mussel pilaf
Midii cu pilaf: Black Sea mussel and rice pilaf with tomato, onion and dill
Constanța and the old fishing quarter near the port gave Romania this coastal dish, a legacy of the Greek and Turkish families of Dobrogea: Black Sea mussels steamed open, taken from their shells and folded into a soft, tomato-red rice pilaf with plenty of onion, dill and a squeeze of lemon. It is a summer lunch at seaside terraces from Mamaia to Mangalia, best eaten warm with a crisp salad. The rice soaks up the mussel liquor, so it tastes of the sea while staying light. Many cooks overcook the mussels and they turn rubbery; steam them only until they open and add them back at the end. Chef's tip: strain the steaming liquid through a cloth and use it as part of the rice water; it is where all the flavour is.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the mussels
- 3 ⅓ lb live mussels in their shells
- ¾ cup water
For the pilaf
- 4 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 9 oz medium-grain ricerinsed until the water runs clear
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 ripe tomatoesgrated, skins discarded
- 1 ¼ cups hot water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ⅔ oz fresh dillchopped
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Scrub the 3 ⅓ lb live mussels in their shells under cold running water and pull off the beards. Tap any open mussel sharply on the worktop: throw away any that do not close within a minute, and any with cracked or broken shells.
10 minStep 2: Put the mussels in a large pan with the ¾ cup water, cover and steam over a high heat for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pan, until the shells have opened. Throw away any that stay shut.
5 minStep 3: Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve lined with a cloth and keep it. Take the mussels out of their shells, keeping a few in the shell for garnish, and chill them until needed.
8 minStep 4: Heat the 4 tbsp olive or sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and cook the 2 onions for 7 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the 2 cloves garlic for 1 minute.
8 minStep 5: Stir in the 9 oz medium-grain rice and toast it for 2 minutes, until the grains turn translucent at the edges. Add the 2 tbsp tomato purée and 1 tsp sweet paprika and stir for 30 seconds.
3 minStep 6: Add the 2 ripe tomatoes, the mussel liquid made up to 450 ml with the 1 ¼ cups hot water, the 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice tender.
15 minStep 7: Fold in the mussels and half the ⅓ oz fresh dill, cover and leave off the heat for 5 minutes, until the mussels are hot through.
5 minStep 8: Serve scattered with the rest of the ⅓ oz fresh dill, with the mussels in their shells on top and 1 lemon wedges to squeeze over.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does midii cu pilaf take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 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 onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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