Sauté of Mussels and Clams

The sauté of mussels and clams is a classic and tasty seafood dish of Italian cuisine, perfect as an appetizer or main course. Here is the recipe and the related procedure.

Ingredients

• 500g mussels
• 500g clams
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh parsley to taste
• 150 ml of dry white wine
• 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Black pepper to taste
• (Optional) Chili pepper to taste

Preparation

1. First, thoroughly clean the mussels and clams. Put the clams in a bowl with salt water for a few hours to let them purge from the sand, changing the water a couple of times. Clean the mussels by scrubbing them under running water and removing the byssus (the tough thread that comes out of the shell).
2. In a large pan, preferably with a lid, sauté the garlic cloves in extra virgin olive oil. If you like, you can also add chili pepper to your taste.
3. Add the still wet mussels and clams to help create steam. Stir and toast for a minute or two.
4. Deglaze with the white wine and cover with the lid. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until all the shells have opened. Discard those that remain closed.
5. In the meantime, wash and finely chop the parsley.
6. Once ready, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and a pinch of black pepper.
7. Serve the sauté of mussels and clams hot, accompanied, if you wish, with slices of toasted bread to dip into the sauce.

Curiosity

The term “sauté” comes from the French “sauter”, which means to jump, and refers to the cooking method where the ingredients are quickly jumped in the pan with a little fat. However, the sauté of mussels and clams is deeply rooted in the Italian culinary tradition, especially in the coastal regions where these shellfish are particularly fresh and tasty.