Think On It

Peppery mussels “Pepata di Cozze” with pasta (from cooking lesson)

August 30th, 2007

Ingredienti per 4 persone: ingredients for 4 people

-1,5 Kg. di Cozze 3 pounds of mussels
-200 gr. di pomodori tipo perini 7 ounces of peeled pear tomatoes
-50 gr. di olio extra vergine di oliva 1.75 oz extra virgin olive oil
-un bicchiere di vino bianco secco 3.5 oz. Dry white wine
-una costa di sedano one leg of celery
-una carota one carrot
-3 spicchi d’aglio 3 cloves garlic
-una cipolla one onion
-prezzemolo parsley
-un peperoncino a chili pepper
-pepe nero black pepper
-8 fette di pane casereccio del giorno prima 8 slices of rustic bread (if not using pasta)

PREPARAZIONE
Pulite e raschiate le cozze delle incrostazioni sotto l’acqua corrente, riponendole in un contenitore. Quando avrete finito, riempitelo d’acqua pulita e aiutandovi con un cucchiaio di legno, agitate le cozze nel contenitore per qualche minuto, quindi buttate l’acqua e ripetete l’operazione. Lasciatele a scolare. Bollite i pomodori in abbondante acqua salata, scolateli e spellateli. Tagliateli a pezzettini e tenete da parte. Pulite e mondate tutte le verdure, l’aglio e la cipolla. Fate un trito di finezza media e versate in una padella dove avrete fatto scaldare l’olio. Fate appassire a fiamma bassa. Versate ora le cozze nel tegame, coperchiando immediatamente. Dopo un minuto, rimestate le cozze e bagnate con il vino bianco. Ricoprite con il coperchio e aspettate che tutte le cozze siano aperte. Aggiungete i pomodori e il peperoncino intero. Proseguite la cottura, mescolando spesso, per circa 3 minuti. Nel frattempo tostate in forno le fette di pane. A fine cottura delle cozze, eliminate il peperoncino, versate le cozze in un piatto da portata e cospargetele di prezzemolo tritato e di un’abbondante macinata di pepe nero. Guarnite con le fette di pane, irrorate di un filo di olio extra vergine di oliva.

VINO CONSIGLIATO: Un bianco tipo Martina oppure un Rosato del Salento.

Clean the mussels of their beards and any loose incrustations under running water, then put them into a pot. Throw out any that are opened. When they are all cleaned, fill the pot with cold water and stir them with a wooden spoon for a few minutes. Then drain off that water and refill the pot and do it again. Pour them into a strainer and let them drain This is to get rid of sand, so if you buy cultured/farmed mussels, you may not need to do this.

Use boiling hot water to loosen the tomato peels, and then peel them. Cut them into small pieces.

Clean and peel as needed all the vegetables. Chop the vegetables medium finely—a food processor will do if you pulse it. Heat the oil in a very large pan and turn the chopped vegetables into it over a low flame. Allow to soften, but do not brown. Turn the mussels into that pot and immediately cover them. After a minute, uncover and stir the mussels and add the white wine. Recover the pot and continue to cook until all the mussels are opened. Add the tomato pieces and the whole chili and continue to cook it for about 3 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the pasta or toast/grill the slices of bread. At the end of the cooking of the mussels, remove the chili pepper and turn the mussels into a large serving bowl—which contains the cooked pasta if you are using it—then scatter chopped parsley over it and then grind abundant quantities of black pepper over it all. It takes lots and lots of pepper– more than you think is wise. There should be the perfume of pepper and a definite taste of pepper to be right.

If you do not use pasta, garnish the bowl of mussels with the slices of grilled bread which have been drizzled with great olive oil.

The wine suggested with this dish is a white similar to Martina or a rosé of Salento. We drank the rosé and it was terrific! Crisp and dry with a spicy, berryish nose and pretty, too.

Entry Filed under: Food, Italy, kitchen stuff, mussels, seafood, pasta, primo, cooking school, Italian food, cucina