Put Some Mussel in Your Stew

Having just returned from a tour of Puglia, my thoughts linger on that region’s table in this week’s “Buona Tavola.” I will soon be on the road again traveling from Abruzzo to Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria, and back to Puglia. Beginning with my next column, I will be reporting on the foods I find, old and new, along the way. For now, let’s ponder the mussel, or mitilo.

If it is considered the most ordinary of shellfish elsewhere, not so in Puglia. Taranto’s waters yield the biggest mussel harvest of all of Italy’s regions. A predilection for the bivalve goes back to the ancient Greeks, who harvested wild mussels all along the peninsula’s coast, and began to grow them on wooden rafts they set afloat in the sea. They found ideal conditions for their cultivation in the “Great Sea” and “Little Sea,” as the waters off the port of Taranto are called; the seas are fed by underwater springs on the Ionic side of the Boot. Not surprisingly, the cooking traditions of Puglia, and Taranto especially, include a wealth of mussel dishes ranging from appetizers to salads, pastas to layered casseroles (“tielle”).

The simplest of them all is a fiery stew redolent with wine and herbs consisting of little more than mussels, wine, tomato, hot pepper, a hint of oregano, and parsley. In other parts of Italy, this soupy course might be called cozze al vino bianco, but in Puglia, it is “mitili alla peppetedda,” peppered mussels. Briny and hot, it is a splendid appetite arouser, or in larger portions, a satisfying light meal.

An appetizer for 4 people

The traditional way to eat this zuppa is to pour it over thick slices of sturdy bread.  After the mussels have been picked out of the shells and eaten, spoon up the garlicy broth and savor the saturated bread.

• 3 pounds fresh, not too large mussels

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional oil for the table

• 3 large cloves of garlic, smashed

• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes, or whole chili pepper, to taste

• 1 cup fresh or canned peeled and chopped tomatoes

• 1/2 cup good dry white wine

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

• Sturdy crusty bread, cut into slices and lightly toasted

1.  With a stiff brush, scrub the mussels well.  Pull off their beards, using a pair of pliers if necessary.  Use a small knife to scrape off any barnacles.  Wash them well in cool running water to remove any traces of sand. Discard any that are open.

2.  In a heavy Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid large enough to easily accommodate the mussels, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it colors lightly, about 4 minutes. Stir in the oregano and chili pepper followed by the chopped tomatoes and wine. Simmer to reduce the juices somewhat, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the mussels, using a wooden spoon to toss them with the other ingredients.  Cover the pot tightly and bring to a boil over medium-high flame, then immediately lower the heat and simmer 2-3 minutes further, or until mussels are fully open. Scatter the parsley over them and remove the pan from the heat.

4. Serve the zuppa in shallow bowls over slices of bread, discarding any mussels that are not open. Spoon broth and a dribble of olive oil over each serving. Pass more bread at the table.

Julia della Croce is a print & broadcast journalist and James Beard award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher, culinary consultant & recipe developer.

You can visit her on her website,www.juliadellacroce.com and blog, http://juliadellacroce.com/forktales1/

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