Easy Mussels Cooked in Greek Saffron-Pepper-Tomato Sauce
Mussels are a classic on Clean Monday, the start of Lent, but also throughout the year. In this Greek recipe for mussels, I marry these tasty bivalves with krokos Kozanis, aka Greek saffron.
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3
tablespoons
extra-virgin Greek olive oil
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1
cup
sliced shallots
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3
garlic cloves
chopped
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3/4
cup
dry Greek rosé wine
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2
cups
canned diced tomatoes in juice
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2
tablespoons
spicy piperoktima
or any red pepper paste
-
3/4
teaspoon
paprika
-
1/2
teaspoon
Greek Krokos Kozanis
saffron threads,
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3
dozen mussels
scrubbed, debearded
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1/2
cup
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
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Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes with juice, pepper sauce, paprika, and saffron; sprinkle with salt and generous amount of pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 3 minutes to blend flavors.
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Add mussels and half of parsley; cover and cook until mussels open, about 3 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open).
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Stir in remaining parsley. Divide mussels and juices among bowls and serve.