Non-VegetarianMarchigiana cuisine Main Course

Moscioli di Portonovo in Potacchio

Name: Moscioli di Portonovo in Potacchio
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Marchigiana
Ingredients: 1.5 kg wild mussels (moscioli); 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 sprigs Fresh rosemary; 0.5 tsp dried red chilli flakes; 100 ml Dry white wine; 300 g ripe plum tomatoes; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley; 0.25 tsp Black pepper

Wild mussels from the Conero coast braised in a fragrant garlic, rosemary, white wine, and tomato sauce. In Ancona dialect, these wild reef mussels are known as moscioli.

🇮🇹Italy· Marche

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 290 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

1½ kg wild mussels (moscioli) — fresh, live, scrubbed and debearded
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — local Marchigiano oil preferred
3 cloves Garlic — lightly bruised and peeled
2 sprigs Fresh rosemary — whole sprigs
½ tsp dried red chilli flakes — or one small whole dried peperoncino
100 ml Dry white wine — Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi or similar dry white
300 g ripe plum tomatoes — peeled and finely chopped, or canned whole peeled tomatoes crushed
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
¼ tsp Black pepper — freshly cracked

Equipment

•Stiff bristle brush
•Large heavy wide pan with lid
•Wooden spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 290 kcal
fat: 16 g
carbs: 8 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 24 g
calories: 290 kcal

Instructions

1
Scrub the mussel shells thoroughly under cold running water with a stiff brush to remove sand and grit.
2
Pull the fibrous beard towards the hinge of each mussel to remove it cleanly.
3
Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
4
Add the bruised garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs, and chilli flakes, cooking gently until fragrant.
5
Tip the chopped tomatoes into the pan and simmer for five minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
6
Pour in the white wine and let it bubble briskly for two minutes to cook off the alcohol.
7
Add the cleaned mussels to the simmering sauce and cover the pan tightly with a lid.
8
Cook over high heat for four to five minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the shells open.
9
Discard any mussels that remain tightly closed after cooking.
10
Scatter with chopped fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper before serving immediately in their juices.

Chef's tips

Wild moscioli release natural sea liquor that is intensely savoury, so avoid adding extra salt until you taste the cooked broth. Keep the lid sealed tightly while steaming so the mussels open rapidly without drying out.

Ingredient substitutions

wild moscioli → fresh rope-grown Mediterranean mussels, thoroughly cleaned
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi → any crisp, dry Italian white wine such as Bianchello del Metauro or Trebbiano

Storage

Consume immediately; store any stripped leftover mussel meat in its strained broth in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a small covered saucepan over low heat for two minutes just until warmed through, avoiding a rolling boil.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding table salt to the sauce before the mussels release their naturally salty sea liquor.
•Overcooking the mussels until the meats shrink, dry out, and turn rubbery.
•Chopping the rosemary finely instead of using whole sprigs, which makes the sauce gritty and overly piney.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately in shallow warmed bowls with generous ladles of the potacchio sauce.Accompany with thick slices of toasted, crusty country bread to dip into the broth.Pour a chilled glass of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi alongside.