Midye Dolma (Stuffed Mussels)

🛒 Ingredients

• Mussels, fresh, cleaned 72 g · 54 kcal
• Short-grain rice 75 g · 90 kcal
• Onion 30 g · 12 kcal
• Olive oil 10 g · 90 kcal
• Pine nuts 5 g · 34 kcal
• Dried currants 5 g · 15 kcal
• Fresh dill 4 g · 2 kcal
• Fresh mint 4 g · 3 kcal
• Lemon 10 g · 2 kcal
• Allspice 1 g · 0 kcal
• Black pepper 1 g · 0 kcal

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Clean fresh mussels thoroughly, removing beards and scrubbing shells. Carefully pry open each mussel without fully detaching the halves, creating a pocket for stuffing.
2. Rinse short-grain rice several times until the water runs clear, then soak in warm water for 15 minutes before draining thoroughly.
3. Sauté finely diced onion in olive oil until translucent, then add pine nuts and cook until lightly golden.
4. Stir in the drained rice, dried currants, allspice, black pepper, and half of the fresh dill and mint. Add hot water, cover, and simmer for 5-7 minutes until water is mostly absorbed and rice is semi-cooked; let cool.
5. Carefully stuff each mussel with the cooled rice mixture, pressing gently to fill the shell. Arrange the stuffed mussels tightly in a wide pot.
6. Pour hot water and lemon juice over the mussels, ensuring the liquid reaches about halfway up their sides. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes until mussels are cooked and rice is tender.
7. Serve the Midye Dolma warm or at room temperature, garnished with remaining fresh dill, mint, and plenty of fresh lemon wedges.