Ease of Preparation: Medium
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (0.45 g) fresh mussels
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons (45 ml), divided
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1 cup (240 ml) diced onion
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) cinnamon
- ½ cup (120 ml) uncooked brown rice, rinsed in cold water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup (120 ml) pine nuts
- ¼ cup (60 ml) parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
To serve:
- Lemon wedges
- Bread
Method:
Soak mussels in a bowl of cold water with salt for an hour to expel any sand or grit.
Drain, wash, and debeard mussels.
In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil over medium-low heat.
Add garlic to saucepan and sauté just until fragrant.
Add mussels, white wine, and water to saucepan.
Cover saucepan and simmer until shells have opened, roughly 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Toss away any shells that have not opened.
Remove flesh from shells and add to a small bowl. Reserve shells in a separate bowl.
Pour the remaining liquid from cooking the mussels through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a cheesecloth into a bowl. Set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion, ground cinnamon, allspice and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add rice and stir for a minute.
Add 1 cup (240 ml) of the strained liquid from cooking the mussels.
Cover skillet or saucepan and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is almost al dente.
Add lemon juice, pine nuts, parsley, and meat of the mussels to rice and cook just until mussels are heated through again.
Season with salt and pepper.
Fill mussel shells with rice mixture, making sure to include mussel-flesh in each shell.
Serve with lemon wedges and bread.