Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Karen Mintzias 1 lg Onion; finely choppped
1 1/2 kg Fresh mussels 1/2 c Dry white wine
Water Freshly ground black pepper
Salt 2 c Short grain rice
1/4 c Olive oil 1/4 c Chopped parsley
1/4 c Butter 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 1/2 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: 1/2 cup tomato puree (not paste) may replace 1/2 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

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