AI-generated image
Midopilafo
Mussel pilaf
Midopílafo: Thessaloniki mussel pilaf with tomato, dill and lemon
Midopilafo is what Thessaloniki fishermen's families make on a fasting Friday or a cheap midweek night, when a bag of mussels from the Thermaic Gulf can feed a crowd. The mussels are steamed first and their briny liquor becomes the stock for the rice, which simmers with onion, a little tomato and dill until tender and a touch soupy. The shelled mussels go back in at the end so they stay plump. Some cooks add white wine; this version uses lemon and the mussel juice only, so it is alcohol-free. Common mistake: cooking the shelled mussels with the rice the whole time — they shrink to rubber. Chef's tip: strain the mussel liquor through a fine sieve lined with kitchen paper to catch any grit.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅝ lb live musselsscrubbed and debearded
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 3 spring onionssliced
- 2 cloves garlicchopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 9 oz medium-grain ricerinsed
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅔ oz fresh dillchopped
- 1 lemonjuiced, plus wedges to serve
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Check 2 ⅝ lb live mussels: throw away any that are cracked or stay open when tapped.
Step 2: Bring 3 ¼ cups water to the boil in a wide pan, add the mussels, cover and cook over a high heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking, until they open. Discard any that stay shut.
4 minStep 3: Lift out the mussels and strain the liquor through a sieve lined with kitchen paper; you need about 800 ml, so top up with water. Pick most of the mussels from their shells, keeping 12 in the shell to decorate. Keep them covered in the fridge.
10 minStep 4: Warm 5 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat and soften 1 onion and 3 spring onions until translucent. Add 2 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
7 minStep 5: Add 9 oz medium-grain rice and stir until glossy, then pour in the hot mussel liquor and add ½ tsp black pepper. Taste before salting: the liquor is often salty enough.
2 minStep 6: Simmer, partly covered, over a low heat until the rice is tender and still a little loose.
16 minStep 7: Stir in the mussels, ⅔ oz fresh dill and 1 lemon and heat for 2 minutes, until the mussels are hot through. Rest for 5 minutes and serve with lemon wedges.
7 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does midopilafo take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Greek village salad
A true Greek salad has no lettuce: just ripe tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, sharp onion and olives, dressed with good olive oil and dried oregano, with a whole slab of feta on top. Salt the tomatoes first and they'll make their own dressing.
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Midia saganakiMussels with tomato and feta
Thessaloniki is Greece's mussel capital, with farms in the Thermaic Gulf a few kilometres from the seafront ouzeries where this two-handled pan arrives, still bubbling, at the table. Mussels steam open in a quick sauce of peppers, tomato and chilli, and crumbled feta melts into the juices at the end. Bread is essential. The classic version adds a splash of ouzo; this one is alcohol-free, using a pinch of fennel seed for that aniseed note (add 2 tbsp ouzo with the tomatoes if you like). Common mistake: overcooking — take the pan off the heat as soon as the shells open. Chef's tip: buy mussels on the day and keep them in the fridge in a bowl covered with a damp cloth, never in water.
