Remember we travelled through northern Greece? And in the tavern “Diasmos” near Neos Marmaris, I got into conversation with the owner: good-natured, cheerful, with a cunning eye, wide-browed and long-nosed eccentric Greek, with a terrible love for chatting. He was called Vasilis Papas, he is a Pontic Greek and his ancestors returned to Greece long ago from Georgia. Five minutes into conversation, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we have known each other for a thousand years. I ordered everything that he recommended, sometimes not quite understanding what exactly is hidden behind the Greek name of the dish. Among what instantly appeared on the table was a pot of mussels. Vasilis proudly said that the Greek mussels were cooked according to the family recipe of his grandmother, Pontius Nona. There was such an aroma from the pot even a well-fed guest could again evoke a wild appetite. You take the mussel, break off the shell, scoop up the hot broth with it, and it is no longer possible to stop until you see the bottom of the pot, soak everything to the last drop with pieces of crispy bread. And then, then, you want to confess your love – to life and to the sun, to the sea and to mussels, to grandmother Nona and, of course, to Greece! The recipe was destined to return to the shores of Pontus Euxine (“Hospitable Sea” as ancient Greeks affectionately called the Black Sea). Here it is 🙂 May it become your favourite too!
Remember we travelled through northern Greece? And in the tavern “Diasmos” near Neos Marmaris, I got into conversation with the owner: good-natured, cheerful, with a cunning eye, wide-browed and long-nosed eccentric Greek, with a terrible love for chatting. He was called Vasilis Papas, he is a Pontic Greek and his ancestors returned to Greece long ago from Georgia. Five minutes into conversation, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we have known each other for a thousand years. I ordered everything that he recommended, sometimes not quite understanding what exactly is hidden behind the Greek name of the dish. Among what instantly appeared on the table was a pot of mussels. Vasilis proudly said that the Greek mussels were cooked according to the family recipe of his grandmother, Pontius Nona. There was such an aroma from the pot even a well-fed guest could again evoke a wild appetite. You take the mussel, break off the shell, scoop up the hot broth with it, and it is no longer possible to stop until you see the bottom of the pot, soak everything to the last drop with pieces of crispy bread. And then, then, you want to confess your love – to life and to the sun, to the sea and to mussels, to grandmother Nona and, of course, to Greece! The recipe was destined to return to the shores of Pontus Euxine (“Hospitable Sea” as ancient Greeks affectionately called the Black Sea). Here it is 🙂 May it become your favourite too!- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Difficulty: easy
- Course: main course
- Cookware: large thick bottom frying pan or cauldron
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
- 1,5 kg large mussels in shells
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 bell peppers, peeled and cut into half rings
- 2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mild mustard
- ¼ chilli, finely chopped
- 200 g feta
- 1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Cooking method
Step 1
If the mussels are just collected and not cleaned yet for cooking, then remove any gnarls and rip away the ‘beard’ (water plant).
Step 2
Heat oil in a large frying pan or cauldron. Sauté bell peppers and tomatoes until tender.
Step 3
Add garlic, chili, and mustard. When a rich spicy smell appears, add the mussels, cover and leave over medium heat.
Step 4
When the mussel shells open, stir. Finally, add parsley and feta to the mussels, crumbling it with your hands. Stir again, the cheese should melt, and remove from heat. Serve hot.
My tips and tricks:
The easiest way to clean the mussels is with a metal sponge under running water. The size of the mussel shell does not always indicate its fleshiness. Mussels that did not open during cooking were most likely not fresh. Discard them.
Konstantin Vidoborenko’s wine recommendations:
If you want to create a real authentic pair, then the best option would be Greek dry white wine from Santorini: Assyrtiko. Wine with a delicate aroma of yellow fruits, citrus, and mineral tones, with a slight note of oxidation, the signature style of wines from this island. The island’s volcanic ash-rich soils produce complex, structured wines with excellent acidity, so that wines from Santorini never lose their invigorating freshness. There is so much minerality in this wine that it will be a natural extension of the sea mussel flavour.
- 1,5 kg large mussels in shells
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 bell peppers, peeled and cut into half rings
- 2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mild mustard
- ¼ chilli, finely chopped
- 200 g feta
- 1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- If the mussels are just collected and not cleaned yet for cooking, then remove any gnarls and rip away the ‘beard’ (water plant).
- Heat oil in a large frying pan or cauldron. Sauté bell peppers and tomatoes until tender.
- Add garlic, chili, and mustard. When a rich spicy smell appears, add the mussels, cover and leave over medium heat.
- When the mussel shells open, stir. Finally, add parsley and feta to the mussels, crumbling it with your hands. Stir again, the cheese should melt, and remove from heat. Serve hot.