Mussels al la Dolce Vita

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21 June 202211 May 2023

Introduction

This dish has a lot of history. I created the recipe for my cookery school La Dolce Vita, which I ran from 1983-1986 because mussels this way represented the good life at the time. I think they still do (easy, cheap, good for you).They appeared in my very first cookbook, All This And More, published in 1986. Gosh, it’s a lifetime ago, but proves the point that great recipes live on!

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 kg (4-4.5 lb) mussels, cleaned
250ml (1 cup) dry white wine
1 bay leaf (sweetens the odour from the mussels!)
2 large tomatoes, skinned and finely diced
4-5 (a bunch) spring onions (scallions), trimmed and thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh chopped marjoram, or ½ tsp dried marjoram
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Method

1 Put mussels in a sink of fresh water and let them soak for 10 minutes. Scrub with a stiff brush, then pull off the beards (the hairy bit). If the beards are hard to remove, do it once they are steamed. Transfer mussels to a bowl, clean the sink and fill with fresh water. Add mussels and agitate. Repeat process until water is grit-free.

2 Put mussels in a large saucepan with the wine and bay leaf. Cover with a lid and cook over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mussels open. Transfer to a bowl as they open. Reserve mussel liquor.

3 When the mussels are cool enough to handle, open them, discarding one shell of each, and remove any traces of beard or tiny crustaceans. Arrange them on a platter. Strain the mussel liquor through muslin or a coffee filter or paper towels and spoon a little on each mussel to keep them moist.

4 Drain off excess water from the chopped tomatoes and transfer to a small saucepan with spring onions, marjoram, oil and black pepper. Heat gently for 2-3 minutes, to draw out flavour, but don’t let the mixture fry or it will lose its bright colours. Mix in ¼ cup of the mussel liquor. Spoon dressing over mussels and serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley, or, for more flavour, cover and leave for 1 hour before serving.

Recipe Notes

Providing the mussels are fresh, they can be fully prepared, covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before serving. Bring to room temperature before serving.