The mussels are considered i clams less valuable, but their pulp fleshy and tasty makes them a perfect ingredient to prepare in many ways, starting from a spaghetti sauce, or filled for a tantalizing finger food or even stewed with aromatic herbs, like the recipe we offer you. Mussels are sold all year round, but the best time to consume them is from May to September, when they release their maximum flavor.

How to clean mussels

When buying mussels, make sure they are whole, with the shell well closed and shiny. Above all they must not emit a bad smell, indeed they must smell of the sea! Eliminate all open ones or with the broken shell, then, for clean the mussels, take them one by one and with a small knife, scrape the surface of the valves, removing all the incrustations and the byssus, that protein filament with which mussels attach to the rock. Rinse them under running water and let them open by putting them in a pot with a lid and cooking them for 5 minutes. Once opened, filter the cooking liquid that you can use for your recipe.

The recipe of mussels with aromatic herbs

Ingredients

1 kg of mussels, 300 g cherry tomatoes, 1 onion, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 3 tufts of mint, parsley, 1 sachet of saffron powder, 2 dl dry white wine, extra virgin olive oil, salt.

Method

Clean the mussels and then let them open on high heat and covered in a pan with 1 dl of wine. Remove the cooking liquid and the shells left closed, shell the mussels open and put them in a bowl with the thyme leaves and the coarsely chopped mint and parsley. Keep some with the shell if you prefer. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. In a pan fry the thinly sliced ​​onion with two tablespoons of oil. When it is golden brown it with the remaining wine. Then add the cherry tomatoes, half a bag of saffron, salt, mix and cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Add the remaining saffron and mussels, mix and remove from the heat. Serve the mussels with the aromatic herbs accompanied with slices of toasted homemade bread.

In the tutorial some more tips for cooking mussels

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