Salad of Mussels and True Clams

The salad of mussels and true clams is a fresh and light seafood appetizer. Here is the recipe to prepare this delicious dish.

Ingredients

• 500 g of fresh mussels
• 500 g of true clams
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh parsley, as needed
• Juice of half a lemon
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Black pepper, as needed
• Coarse sea salt, as needed (for the purification of the clams)

Preparation

1. First, it is necessary to purify the clams of sand. To do this, put them in a bowl with cold water and coarse salt for at least one hour, changing the water a couple of times.
2. Rinse the mussels well under running water.
3. In a large pot, lightly fry a crushed garlic clove with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the mussels and cover with a lid to let them open over high heat, shaking the pot occasionally (about 5 minutes).
4. Once the mussels are open, remove them from the pot and let them cool, then shuck them, leaving only a few mussels in the shell for decoration.
5. Repeat the same process for the clams, in another pot, always frying another garlic clove beforehand.
6. When the clams are also open, turn off the heat and shuck them, as done for the mussels.
7. In a bowl, combine the shucked mussels and clams. Season with extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley, and a grind of black pepper.
8. Gently mix the salad of mussels and true clams and serve at room temperature or chilled, according to preference.

Curiosity

The salad of mussels and clams is a traditional dish of the Italian coastal regions. It is often served as an appetizer or as a main course, especially during the summer due to its freshness. The quality of the seafood is fundamental for the success of the dish, so make sure to always buy fresh products from reliable sources.