Mussels with Black Pepper Cooking Recipe – Impepata Di Cozze Recipe
This recipe appeared for the first time in Il Cuoco Galante (The Gallant Cook) by Vincenzo Corrado, the first compendium of southern Italian cooking, published in 1773.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 ½ lb. (2 kg) mussels
- 1 clove garlic
- A few sprigs of parsley
- 1 lemon
- Scant ½ cup (100 ml) white wine
- A few slices of bread
- Olive oil for brushing the toasted bread
- Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Method
- Discard any mussels that have broken shells or that do not close when tapped.
- Clean them by scraping any barnacles from the shells, remove the beards, and rinse thoroughly.
- Peel the garlic. Wash and remove the stalks from the parsley and chop.
- Wash the lemon and cut into quarters.
- Place the mussels with the peeled garlic in a saucepan over the heat.
- Once the shells have all opened, sprinkle them with the white wine and plenty of pepper.
- Stir, then remove from the heat. Strain off the juice.
- Discard any mussels that have not opened.
- Toast the slices of bread on a griddle and brush with a little olive oil.
- Serve the mussels in shallow plates or in a large bowl with their juice, the chopped parsley, and the lemon wedges.
- Pass the grilled bread around the table.
Suggested food/wine match
- Grotta del Sole, Falanghina dei Campi Flegrel, Coste dl Cuma DOC
Chef’s notes
Mussels are best during the summer months (when there is no “r” In the month). They should preferably be eaten within 3 days of being harvested.
