Mussels and Rice Recipe (Bulgarian-style)

Run the mussels under cold water and remove the brown shoots coming from the shell. Throw out any mussels that have opened or have a broken shell.
Pour half a cup of the water in a large pot, then add 2 teaspoons of salt and place the lovage on top with its roots facing down. There should be about two and a half inches of space between the mussels and the edge of your pot. Otherwise, they won't open. Put the mussels on top and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the mussels open up.
Strain the mussels and set them aside. There should be about two cups of broth which you should save for later. If the broth is less than that, you can add some water.
Wash and strain the rice, then finely chop the onion, carrots and red pepper. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and grate them.
Set aside 25 mussels with their shells on and thoroughly clean the rest.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and saute the onion for 5 minutes.
Add the rice and cook for no more than a minute.
Stir in the chopped vegetables and add 2 cups of the broth and 1 cup water, seasoning with the black pepper afterward. Mix in the mussels so some of the rice gets in their shells, put a glass lid on and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add in the rest of the mussels and stir everything together so the shells of the mussels get filled with rice.
Cook for another 7 to 8 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and season the mussels with the parsley. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Garnish with a lemon wedge and parsley and serve. You can eat the rice with the shells instead of using utensils.

Mussels and Rice Recipe (Bulgarian-style)

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition