Homemade Stuffed Mussels With Aromatic Rice Midye Dolma Food

HOMEMADE STUFFED MUSSELS WITH AROMATIC RICE; MIDYE DOLMA

Steps:

• Place the currants in a bowl, cover with warm water and soak for 15 minutes. Then drain and set aside.
• Place the rice into a sieve and rinse well under cold running water. Drain the rice and set aside.
• Make the stuffing first (you can also make the stuffing a day ahead of time). Heat the oil in a medium sized pan and stir in the onions. Sauté over medium to high heat for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the pine nuts to the onions, sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the rice, currants, chopped tomato, tomato paste, spices and season with salt to your taste. Pour in the hot water (about 240 ml/ 8 fl oz. / 1 cup) and combine all well. Bring to the boil then cover to simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Rice will be "al dente" and still have a bite to it. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Once cool, stir in the chopped dill and parsley to the aromatic rice and combine well. Check the seasoning and add more salt or ground black pepper if you'd like. Set aside to cool. You can cook this delicious aromatic rice a day ahead of time and keep in the fridge, covered. This really helps the flavors to blend in and phase your cooking time wise.
• Now, open the mussels. If you've bought the mussels in a vacuum bag, open the bag over a bowl to catch any liquid inside. Place the mussels in a large bowl and rinse under cold water. Scrub the shells clean and scrape off any dirt. Using a blunt knife, carefully force the point of the knife into the gap at the pointy end of each mussel (if opening the shells become challenging, soaking them in warm water helps to open the shell, as it relaxes the mussels). Slice through the meat so the shell opens with half the meat attached to each half shell - once you cut through the thick, round connecting muscle at the bottom of the mussel, it will be easy to open.
• Pour the juice from the mussel to a bowl. Snip off the beards and using your finger, remove any grit at the base. Spread the half shells to tear the muscle of the mussel, but leave the two halves connected. Put about 2 tsp. of stuffing into the middle of each mussel (try not to overfill) and push the half shells together again.
• Place the mussels on a wide heavy pan, with the tips pointing outwards towards the edge of the pan, with the shells slightly overlapping (to prevent them opening). Build a tight spiral of shells in the center of the pan. There should be one layer of mussels, so if you have mussels left over, use another pan to keep on the layering. Place a wide plate over the mussels to prevent them from opening too wide while they cook.
• Strain the mussel juice through a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin (cheese cloth) three times to remove any grit. Mix the mussel juice with water, make it up about 250 ml/ 9 oz. / generous 1 cup water (have another 1 cup of water ready if you are using two pans). Pour this mixture to the pan; the water level should only reach to the half of the shell. Cover the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove the mussels from the heat and leave to cool at room temperature. Then cover and keep them in the fridge for 30 minutes - 1 hour to cool further and for the flavors to settle. Serve stuffed mussels with aromatic rice, midye dolma on a big platter with lemon wedges by the side. They are best enjoyed eating with your hands, using the top shell to scoop the mixture out of the bottom shell, with a generous squeeze of lemon over the mussel with aromatic rice.

STUFFED BAKED MUSSELS

Steps:

• Debeard and clean the exterior of the mussel shells very well (they will be used later for service).
• In a cast-iron Dutch oven over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the garlic, red pepper flakes, white wine and thyme. Bring the wine to a simmer and add the mussels. Cover tightly and cook until all the mussels have opened, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the mussels from the pot, discarding any that did not open, and when cool enough to handle, remove the flesh and chop. Rinse the shells and put aside for service. Strain the liquid from the pot and reserve. Wipe the Dutch oven clean with a paper towel.
• Place the pot over medium-high heat, add the remaining olive oil and, when shimmering, add the onions and bell peppers and saute until the onions are just starting to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the serrano, the remaining garlic and the tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the butter and the flour. Once the butter melts, slowly incorporate the milk. Add the reserved cooking liquid from the mussels, a little at a time, until the mixture is creamy but not runny. Add the chopped mussels and gradually add 1 cup panko, as needed, and stir gently to combine.
• Preheat the oven to broil and adjust the rack to 6 inches below the element.
• Separate, rinse and dry the mussel shells.
• Spread the rock salt evenly in an ovenproof serving platter. Fill the mussel shells with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mussel-vegetable mixture. Place the remaining cup of panko in a shallow bowl or plate and spread out. Gently roll the filled shells in the panko. Nest the filled mussels into the rock salt on the prepared platter. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper, place under the broiler and broil until golden brown and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
• Sprinkle with the chopped Italian parsley, squeeze a few lemon wedges over the mussels and garnish with remaining lemon wedges and serve immediately.

STUFFED MUSSELS

Steps:

• Clean mussels thoroughly. Discard any that do not close. Put them in a sauce pan with white wine and cook over high heat until the mussels open. Throw out any that do not open. Place the mussels in their half shells onto a baking sheet (do not discard the other half of the shell just yet). Chop up the prosciutto and mix in a bowl with bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, 1/2 of the olive oil, salt (easy on the salt) and pepper and the juice from the mussels. Mix all together. Put some of the mixture on each mussel in the pan. Add a little olive oil to each mussel. Place in oven on broil for about 2 to 3 minutes until the bread crumbs are golden (must be watched). Serve hot and with lemon, if preferred. If there is extra bread crumb mixture, you can add a can of chopped clams and put it in the other halves of the mussel shells to use it up; these take a little longer to cook.

MUSSEL AND SHALLOT STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss bread with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and toasted, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add shallots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Deglaze with wine, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon.
• Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Add mussels and cook, covered, until shells have opened, about 2 minutes. Remove mussels with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Once cool enough to handle, remove mussels from shells and return to broth (discard shells). Stir in parsley and adjust seasoning. In a large bowl, combine bread and broth, toss, and let stand 10 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to an oiled 2-quart baking dish and drizzle with oil. Cover with parchment-lined foil and bake 30 minutes; uncover and continue baking until top is golden and stuffing is firm, about 25 minutes more.