Don't call them mussels if you're in the Ancona area! They are moscioli, they grow wild close to the rocky coastal stretch of Mount Conero and only eight men gather them on three boats. Here's where to eat them, how to get them sent home and the typical recipes of the area
Can there be a Doc vintage for a mollusk? The answer is yes, and it is identified in the consistency of the fruit and in the particularly intense aroma. This year the vintage is to be framed for the wild moss of Portonovo (pronounce "mòsciolo" with the accent on the first "o"). After a mild winter and excellent water quality (category A), partner in crime also the halt of the activities for the lockdown, both on land and at sea, the "wild" mussel of the area facing the mount Conero he is experiencing a particularly happy season.
To collect the mussels that reproduce in a natural way close to the rocky coastal stretch of the Marche, there are three boats and eight men who fish for quota quantities that vary from five to ten quintals per day per boat, weather permitting. A true gastronomic pearl; for a sort of limited edition that arrives on the tables of consumers at the price of four euros per kilo. Remember that the only guarantee to be sure that it is the wild product is the brand Wild Mosciolo di Portonovo.
"We have not seen Italian tourists and locals lined up in front of the cooperative headquarters for some time," says President Sandro Rocchetti. "With the reduction of restaurant activities, there has been a desire for freedom that has poured since the beginning of summer on the products of the sea and in particular of mosciolo."
Of course, the best thing would be to eat them in the splendid bay of Portonovo in Ancona, by the sea. Here the restaurants are different, each with a long history behind it and original recipes. But once you have acquired the raw material, here are some ways to make the most of it even at home.
Seared "natural": the difference between wild and cultivated
If you buy a bag of wild moscioli, the first step will be to appreciate the difference with the most common farmed mussels. The advice is to open them over high heat and eat them au naturel, without adding anything else. The fleshy texture of the fruit and the flavor are unique. An extraordinary combination of aromas due to the micro algae of this sea area sheltered from the mountain. There are many recipes to whet the palate: from Portonovo fashion, with lemon zest, parsley and garlic, up to roasted mosciolo, where bread crumbs are flavored with chopped parsley soaked in extra virgin olive oil.
The secret of chef Moreno Cedroni and his personal home recipe
Among the chefs who contributed to the promotion of this product there is Moreno Cedroni, who in Portonovo is the patron of the Clandestino Susci Bar, chalet by the sea, an unmissable place in the bay. Famous is the combination with the game that Cedroni celebrated some time ago with his "Boar and moscolo". A tribute to an intact and wild territory. And in fact until the 1960s these mussels were the only fish-based meal of the farmers of the Conero who came down from the overlying Poggio to collect them. As a true addict to the Portonovo mosciolo, Cedroni tells us how he prepares it at home: «They open to a boil, with a very quick cooking and they are sprinkled sprinkled with an onion sauce cut into thin slices, stewed with oil, a little chilli and with addition of fresh tomato . A sauce that should be placed on top of the moscioli, and tasted warm or, even better, at room temperature. "This year," Cedroni tells us, "there has been an increase in Italian tourists. The few hours by car that until now had always been a deterrent, are now an advantage. The mosciolo represents an ingredient that many have heard of, want to experience the difference. And then this is a very special year. "
The "tourist office" of the mosciolo is from Miscia
Once you get off at the Ancona train station in the center, just a few steps and a short break are enough to enjoy a menu based on Portonovo wild mussels. Vino e Cucina da Miscia is a kind of gourmet information point for those arriving in the city. The menu is clear and in Ancona Miscia evokes one of the historical characters of the Doric port: Umberto, cook and former Italian boxing champion in 1952, who cooked the "snapped" or "burst" mosciolo. His son Andrea followed in his father's footsteps and recalls the historical recipe: in a high pan the fresh moscioli are tossed, sprinkled with parsley, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and pepper, and a "evaporated" of white wine. Put the lid on and leave to open on high heat. They can be enjoyed with a glass of good white wine and the slipper is made in the tasty water produced during cooking. But also in the first courses, the mosciolo reigns supreme: the spaghettone is proposed with a sauce of moscioli beaten with a knife, with the addition of fresh tomato, oil, chilli pepper and, of course, the filtered cooking water.
Il Mosciolo at home? Come in the day with Pesce Nostro … all over Italy
Social distancing and fear of frequenting crowded places are also bringing tourists to small villages, especially in areas inland hitherto considered marginal for large flows. For those who already know the Marche, a captivating idea is to enjoy a good glass of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, accompanied by seafood products. A small luxury to be enjoyed everywhere. The entrepreneurial idea of a start-up that brings the fresh fish of the day up to hundreds of kilometers away took off during the lockdown. It's called Pesce Nostro and it is the Marche fish market online. Through its website you can directly order a minimum quantity of shopping or a cumulative order to obtain free delivery and the wild mosciolo is one of the protagonists of the local catch. Every night the company takes care of finding the freshest fish at the Ancona fish market auction and delivering it within the briefcase to its destination. The fish arrives on the table at home already cleaned in the large and small towns of the central north: from Rome to Milan, from Verona to Piedmont.
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