My parents come from towns in northern Greece (Macedonia) that are located in the mountains but most of my time spent in Greece is near the sea. All of my relatives in Greece are on my mom’s side of the family and the majority of them live in Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki.
One of Thessaloniki’s specialties is mussels and a Lenten feast wouldn’t be complete without the appearance of some mussels dishes. Today I have two for you…one being deep-fried mussels and the second one is “mydopilafo” or rice pilaf.
To make both dishes, one needs fresh mussels in their shells. After I’ve carefully selected, scrubbed, debearded and rinsed the mussels, I simply steamed them in a pot with a little olive oil, just long enough to open their shells and reveal the succulent meat inside.
I now am left with the option of preparing two dishes: deep fried mussels or the mussel pilaf. Let’s tackle the deep-fried mussels first.
Now that you have steamed mussels, one simply has to pluck the mussel meat out of the shell and pat-dry before dredging in flour. Don’t throw that mussel liqueur away (broth)…that’ll be used too!
I have previously posted on how to deep-fry deep mussels and the method asks you to dredge the mussels in flour then quickly dunk them in ice cold water before dropping them in the hot oil. This is the method used by lots of seafood tavernas in Greece but there’s a simpler way that gives you the same results…without the fear of spitting oil and water making contact.  
I’ve found that a 2 to 1 mix of all-purpose flour and corn flour with a couple of tablespoons of corn starch does the trick. For about a pound of mussel meat, mix 1/3 cup of corn and 1 cup all-purpose flour, a couple of tablespoons of corn starch, some salt and pepper to taste and dredge the mussels before frying.
You’ll get the same, crispy mussel on the outside, moist & juicy on the inside.
Mydopilafo or mussels pilaf is another Thessaloniki classic which is a very liberal recipe with many takes on it. Previously I showed one approach and today, you have another one…quite easy in fact.
I combine the method of baking rice with steamed mussels to put together this suprisingly easy and delicious rice dish. Follow my method for baking rice (many have already tried it and love it), steam some mussels, toss the liqueuer (broth) into the baked rice and top the pilaf dish with some reserved mussels in their shells.
The result is a flavourful rice dish with beautiful mussels to crown the dish and the recipe can be used as a side-dish or main.
The next recipe is the olive bread. This recipe also appeared last year during Lent and you can view the details here. You will need all-purpose flour, pitted sun-dried olives (Throumpes), sauteed onions and some rosemary.
This olive bread is wondeful with a Fassoulada (bean soup), as a snack or featured as “the bread” for the table. I can’t imagine Lent without a few loaves of olive bread filling the home with the aroma of Spring.
Finally, a new potato recipe. This recipe comes from a cookbook that arrived just last week, in time for Lent. It’s a Lenten potato salad from the “Greek Monastery Cookery” , writen by Archimandrite Dositheos.
This book is packed with Lent-friendly recipes that can appeal to a wide audience of people looking for a leaner, healthier die. I will not cut out meat from my diet but I have cut down my meat intake and this book offers many delicious vegetarian and seafood options for the person with a eye towards a healthier diet.
The next time you make a potato salad, why not bake or steam the spuds with their skins on? You’ll retain more of the nutrients and if the potato skins are clean enough, you can eat the skins too (like me).
In future posts, I will be sharing more wonderful recipes from Archimandrite Dositheos but in the meantime…enjoy his potato salad for Lent.
Potato Salad for Lent
8 medium potatoes, well washed
2 tomatoes, sliced
3 Tbsp. of crushed walnuts
2 Tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley
extra-virgin olive oil
dried Greek oregano
1 Tbsp. of capers
handful of pitted Kalamata olives
salt and pepper to taste
- Steam or bake your potatoes until just fork tender. Peel and slice the potatoes and arrange them on your platter. Season with some sea salt, sprinkle with walnuts and oregano.
- Cover with the tomato slices, season again lightly with salt and garnish with the capers, olives, cracked black pepper and parsley.
(for those following a strict Lenten diet, omit the olive oil).
If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at https://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.
© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis
45 Responses
Fantastic! I particularly like the gorgeous salad and delightful bread!
Cheers,
Rosa
That bread is sensational!
I saw those mussels the other day on your Food 24,24,24 post and they just jumped out at me. I am so graving that….mmmmma squirt of lemon, yum!!
I agree, potatoes should always be boiled with the skin on. They are much tastier and less watery.
I am so loving the mydopilafo! I know about hanging on to that precious liquer. I shouldn’t be drooling all over my jkeyboard this early in the morning – lol
I am going to look up the olive bread recipe, that bread looks so savory!
I am making the potato salad on Saturday.
Everything looks spectacular–I couldn’t even choose a favorite!
I love mussels! I’m considering turning Greek (LOL)
I’m such a huge fan of olive that I’d eat all that bread on the table!
That bread looks seriously good Peter! Can you pass me a slice please?
I’m doing baked rice tonight – Mmmmm Yum!
Me again! I’ve just seen what ‘Maryann’ wrote…..Yes I’ll join you Maryann and turn Greek myself I think! lol
So much yummy food is Greek.
Deep fried mussels?!!! YUM!!!
I MUST try those!
Everything looks very tasty, but the bread looks super!!!
I’ ll try to make it!!
I love the words “many mussels”, and the recipes that go with it! That olive bread should be here with me right this very minute, and I’ll take a serving of that potato salad as well!
I would sit next where the mussels are served and eat the whole plate picking one by one and that olive bread looks so super delicious.
Come to think of it, I’ve had many a fried clam and many a fried oyster at restaurants. But never fried mussels. I wonder why that is. You just don’t seem them on the menu that way. I bet they’re wonderful, though. Hard to go wrong with anything fried.
I too have enjoyed fried oyseters befor ebut never tried mussels this way. I haven’t seen it on the menu in any psarotavernas we ffrequent in Kerkyra or Kalymnos. I did see a recipe for fried mussels int he MOnastic cookbook I have (this one’s written in all Greek).
I just took a look at the book you linked to on Monastic cooking and it sounds like an interesting read.
I saw those mussels on your 24 post and I knew I would have to make them. They look amazing – so does the potato salad.
I cannot & do nto eat mussels, but the olive bread & the salad sounds good. going to look at ur olive bread recipe now:-)
I cant decide which I want to try first. The potato salad, olive bread, or those mussels!
I just love yours deep fry mussels Peter.
I love mussels! Great new ways of serving them Peter, they look wonderful. Mmmm, and that olive bread!
Since we love your rice we should try the combination with mussels. Looks delicious.
I adore mussels, and yours look amazing, Peter! And the bread, OMG… so glad I am only in front of a screen right now, or I’d be in trouble!
Not a huge fan of mussels but I love the tip you gave for frying them!!! Love the potato salad though and can’t wait to make it!
Mussles, I love them – Olive Bread, I love it – Peter, I’m starting to wish I lived in Toronto so I could come by for some of your leftovers!!!
there are no words to describe how badly i want the mussels and that bread.
The fried mussels with the bread…mmmm we can taste it now.
I think those are the largest mussels I’ve ever seen! The deep-fried mussels look absolutely amazing, and your photo makes me feel like I’m sitting on a beach somewhere.
WOW! I want to come to dinner at your house. It all looks absolutely delicious. I am now motivated to try mussels.
Thank you for sharing this with the world.
That olive bread looks WAY too good. Mmm.
I would eat a shitload of those fried mussels on a po’boy, son.
Now I want beer and deep fried mussels for breakfast!
Peter, you are really efficient. Thanks for sharing your recipes with us so speedily. You make me hungry…. and now I am craving for mussels first : )
i don’t know why bars all around the country are not offering fried mussels on the menu. they are just the perfect snack food.
The potato salad looks awesome!
Not sure about the walnuts, but otherwise great :)
I think boiled eggs would be nice in it too.
I’m all over those deep fried mussels. YUM!
I’ve been waiting for that potato salad ever since I saw the original post!
Hi Peter !
I take all of them !
Those mussels could win an award!!
Your Lenten feast was a visual gastronomic success, however, I was so looking forward to a recipe for your grandmothers’ “Gigantes” baked beans. I love beans and the texture in that pic is a bean-lovers dream. Thank you in advance.