When you think of Venetian cuisine, your mind might immediately go to delicate seafood risottos, flavourful sarde in saor, or perhaps the iconic baccalà mantecato. But nestled among these famous dishes is a lesser-known, yet equally delightful, preparation that truly captures the spirit of the Adriatic: mussels au gratin.
This dish, known locally as ‘peoci gratinati’, elevates simple mussels into a rich, aromatic appetiser or even a light main course. It’s a testament to Venetian cooking – taking fresh, high-quality ingredients and enhancing them with simple, yet impactful, flavours.
The beauty of mussels au gratin lies in its perfect balance. First, fresh mussels are gently steamed open, usually with a splash of white wine, garlic, and herbs, allowing their natural briny sweetness to shine. Then, they’re nestled back into their half-shells, topped generously with a golden, savory breadcrumb mixture. This topping is typically infused with more garlic, fragrant parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil, sometimes moistened with a touch of their own cooking liquid or a splash of white wine.
Baked until golden and bubbling, the mussels emerge from the oven with a delightful contrast: the tender, succulent mussel meat beneath a crisp, savoury crust. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before eating cuts through the richness, brightening every bite.
While many restaurants in Venice focus on a specific set of tourist-friendly dishes, exploring the wider range of Venetian cuisine often means discovering these hidden gems like peoci gratinati. It’s a dish that speaks of simple pleasures, fresh seafood, and the ingenious use of local ingredients – hallmarks of truly authentic Venetian cooking.
Making mussels au gratin at home brings a little piece of that Venetian charm to your table. It’s an easy, impressive dish that’s perfect for entertaining or simply enjoying a taste of the lagoon.
Mussels au gratin
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 1kg fresh mussels
- 150ml prosecco or dry white wine
- 3 garlic cloves, bashed and peeled
- 40g pangrattato, breadcrumbs or panko
- 3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 75ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons, quartered
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Prepare the mussels
Go through your mussels and discard any with cracked shells. If you find any shells with dirt, scrub them well under cold running water and tear off any stringy bits hanging on the sides.
Place the cleaned mussels in a large bowl and cover them completely with cold water. Let them soak for about an hour.
After soaking, drain the mussels. Discard any mussels that are open and don’t close when lightly tapped, as these may be bad.
2. Cook the mussels
Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic. Let it sizzle gently for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the cleaned mussels to the hot pan. Let them heat for a couple of minutes. As they begin to open, pour in the white wine. Bring it to a boil.
Let the wine cook for about 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Then, cover the pan with a lid and continue cooking until all the mussels have fully opened.
Take the pan off the heat. Carefully transfer all the opened mussels and their cooking liquid to a clean bowl. Discard any mussels that did not open.
For a cleaner presentation and easier eating, remove and discard any empty half-shells from the opened mussels, leaving only the mussels attached to one shell.
3. Bake the mussels
Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F). Line a large oven tray with baking parchment.
Arrange the mussels (on their half-shells if you chose that option) onto the prepared oven tray.
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, a generous pinch of salt, and a grind of pepper. Mix well.
Spoon a generous amount of the breadcrumb mixture over each mussel, almost completely covering it.
Drizzle somee olive oil over each breadcrumb-topped mussel, followed by a teaspoon of the reserved cooking liquid from earlier.
Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs start to turn golden brown and crispy.
4. Serve the mussels au gratin
Transfer the baked mussels to serving plates.
Serve with two lemon wedges per person, for squeezing over the mussels just before eating.
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