Meze Atlas, Fish and seafood

Midye Dolma

Name: Midye Dolma
Prep time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 24 large live mussels; 150 g baldo or other short-grain rice; 2 onions (about 300 g), finely chopped; 80 ml olive oil; 2 tbsp pine nuts; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp currants, soaked for 15 minutes; 1 tsp ground allspice; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; 2 lemons

/MEED·ye dol·MA/

Mussels stuffed with spiced rice, pine nuts and currants

6serves

1 hr 30 minactive time

Goes with

Rakı

Sweet spiced rice and briny mussel are lifted by lemon and the anise of rakı.

Also good with beer.

Our chef's recipe, coming soon. This is the classic version, as it is made on most meyhane tables.

Ingredients

24large live mussels
150 gbaldo or other short-grain rice
2onions (about 300 g), finely chopped
80 mlolive oil
2 tbsppine nuts
1 tbsptomato paste
2 tbspcurrants, soaked for 15 minutes
1 tspground allspice
½ tspground cinnamon
½ tspblack pepper
1 tspsugar
1 tspsalt
2lemons

Method

Soak the rice in warm water for 20 minutes and drain. Scrub the mussels, pull off the beards and discard any that stay open when tapped.
Cook the onions in the oil for 10 minutes until soft. Add the pine nuts for 3 minutes, then the rice, tomato paste, spices, sugar and salt.
Add 200 ml hot water and the currants, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the water is absorbed. Cool.
Open each raw mussel with a small knife from the flat side, leaving the hinge intact. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling inside and close the shell.
Pack the mussels tightly in a pan, add 200 ml water, weigh down with a plate and cook covered on low heat for 25 minutes.
Cool in the pan and serve at room temperature with lemon wedges.