Mussels: a passion all to be shelled

Low in fat, high in protein and iron, the Mytilus galloprovincialis, the mussel that delights the inhabitants of the Mediterranean, is a thriving industry in Italy and in particular in the southern regions.


Bred especially in Taranto - from where comes at least a quarter of the hundred thousand tons produced annually in Italy – in Sardinia mussels are a culinary tradition among the most popular, especially in the coastal districts of Olbia, Cagliari and Oristano.


In the town of Gallura the mussel farming it was imported right from Taranto in early twenties. The area of the Gulf of Oristano teems with hatcheries at sea and it even houses a natural production in the valley of Marceddì, in the unique system of ponds of San Giovanni and Santa Maria.


Also the town of Cagliari recognizes as their own vocation to shellfish farming: in the consortium of Santa Gilla are enrolled one hundred twenty citizens; not counting the squatters, more than a hundred families, then, work in the lagoon. In Sardinia, currently, the mussel farming is the main activity of breeding of aquatic species; the geographical spread of productive settlements is remarkable, as shown the annual output of ten thousand tons of tasty shellfish.

These filter feeders, blacks in the armor and soft and golden inside, are a delicacy for diners, and the Sardinian cuisine has experienced, in decades, a declination of preparations very rich and varied.


Among the most sought the recipes where the "nieddas" (the black ones) enrich the pasta: spaghetti with mussels require a combination with tomatoes, garlic and fresh parsley and have to be tasted after a simple but careful preparation. Mussels au gratin, where to king are lemon, breadcrumbs and pepper, instead, provides a longer and more complex preparation.


Mussels soup, finally, has the honor of the addition of white wine, chili, tomatoes and homemade bread slices. In every variant are they served, prepared in the intimacy of your home or in a kiosks at the seaside, the mussels have the taste of conviviality and passion of the Sardinian land for the gifts of its coasts.

Mussels soup:


Ingredients for four people:
• 2 kg of mussels
• 1 onion
• 300 g of red tomatoes
• 1 spoon of tomato paste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Homemade bread sliced
• 1 hot pepper (or more, depending on taste)
• Parsley
 

Rinse the mussels under running water and scrape the surface of the shell. Lay in a saucepan and add a clove of crushed garlic, chili pepper, parsley and a small part of the white wine.
Keep on the fire in a covered pot until the opening of the shells. Separate the mussels from the cooking liquid caring to filter it with a cloth, paper towel or gauze.
Shell half of the mussels and keep the remaining half with the shell. After having browned in oil the sliced onion, together with the garlic and a tablespoon of chopped parsley, add the white wine until it evaporates completely.