Midye Dolması – Stuffed Mussels

Ingredients

• 24 fresh mussels
• 1/4 of a cup of pignolia nuts
• salt
• 1/4 of a cup of currants
• 1 cup water
• black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons of parsley, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of uncooked rice
• 1 teaspoon of allspice

Directions

Remove beard from mussels and scrub shells well with hard brush under cold running water. Place the mussels in a kettle, sprinkle with salt, and pour water and wine over them. Cover and steam for 10 minutes until shells open. Discard any shells that do not open. In a separate pot, cook onions and olive oil until soft. add rice and cook three minutes longer, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup of liquid drained from mussels and cook rice, covered, for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cover and cook 5 minutes longer or until rice is done. Remove mussels from shells, add to rice and cook over low heat until they are heated thoroughly. Fill mussel shells with mixture. Serve hot or cold. This recipe yields 2 dozen stuffed mussels.