Recipe - Pilafi Me Mythia (Mussel Pilaf)

Karen Mintzias
1 One half kg Fresh mussels
Water
Salt
One fourth cup Olive oil
One fourth cup Butter
1 lg Onion; finely choppped
One half cup Dry white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cup Short grain rice
One fourth cup Chopped parsley
Parsley sprigs, lemon wedges

Serves: 6 Cooking time: 45 minutes

Scrub mussels with a stiff brush, scraping shells with a knife blade to
clean them thoroughly. Tug beard towards pointed end to remove. Place in a
bowl of lukewarm salted water until mussels open. If any are open to begin
with, tap shell if mussel does not close, then discard it. While mussels
are open, run lukewarm water into the bowl so that any sand can be expelled
from the mussels. Drain.

Heat oil and butter in a deep pan and add onion. Fry gently until
transparent. Add mussels, cover pan and cook for 5 minutes until shells
open. If any do not open, then discard them. Add 3 cups cold water, wine,
1 One half teaspoons salt and pepper to taste. Cover pan and bring to a slow
simmer. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then remove mussels with a slotted
spoon.

Wash rice until water runs clear, then add to liquid in pan with the
parsley. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover pan
tightly and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

While rice is cooking scoop mussels from shells and reserve. Keep 6 mussels
in the shell for garnish. Put shelled mussels on top of rice. Place two
paper towels over rim of pan and fit lid on firmly. Leave on low heat for
further 5 minutes, then remove pan to side of stove and leave for 10
minutes.

Blend mussels through rice with a fork and pile pilafi in a dish. Garnish
with reserved mussels, parsley sprigs and lemon wedges.

Note: One half cup tomato puree (not paste) may replace One half cup water for a
different flavour.

From: "The Complete Middle East Cookbook" by Tess Mallos. ISBN: 186302 069
1

Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini