Cozze allo Zafferano

Mussels opened in wine, with saffron steeped in their own liquor rather than added dry.

Shellfish. Not vegetarian — contains shellfish.

Ingredients

• 2 kg mussels, scrubbed and bearded
• a large pinch of saffron threads
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 100 ml double cream
• a handful of parsley, chopped

Method

1. Throw away any mussel that is open and does not close when tapped.
2. Cook the shallots and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes without colouring, add the wine and bring it to the boil.
3. Tip the mussels in, cover, and steam 4 minutes, shaking the pan once, until they have opened.
4. Lift the mussels out and STRAIN THE LIQUOR through a fine sieve or a cloth into a jug, leaving any grit behind.
5. NOW STEEP THE SAFFRON IN THE HOT LIQUOR for 10 minutes. Added dry to the pan at the start it would give colour and very little else — saffron needs to sit in warm liquid to give up what it has, and the mussel liquor is the best warm liquid in the dish.
6. Return the liquor to the pan, add the cream, and simmer 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
7. Put the mussels back to warm through for a minute, scatter the parsley, and serve with bread.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Italy · All recipes