I found this dish on one of Greece’s liveliest islands. The town of Karthamena, 20 km (12 miles) from Kos, is popular with young Brits whose idea of a good holiday is to dance all night and sleep all day. The mussels are fried in a light, herby batter and make a delicious starter.
preparation time 40 minutes
cooking time about 15 minutes
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 kg (2 lb) mussels
150 ml (5 fl oz) dry white wine
juice of 1 lemon
75 g (3 oz) plain flour
vegetable oil for deep-frying
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the batter
2 eggs
75 g (3 oz) self-raising flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Scrub the mussels under cold running water. Pull off the beards and scrape off any barnacles with a small sharp knife. Discard any open mussels that do not close when tapped lightly on a work surface.
2 Heat the wine in a large pan, add the mussels and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook over a medium-high heat for 3–5 minutes, until the mussels have opened.
3 Drain the mussels in a colander set over a medium saucepan to catch the cooking liquid. Discard any mussels that have remained closed. Remove the opened mussels from their shells and set aside to cool.
4 Add the lemon juice to the mussel cooking liquid and then boil it until it is reduced to half its volume. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
5 To make the batter, lightly beat the eggs together. Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder and cayenne and whisk into the eggs until smooth. Add the dill and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 3–4 tablespoons of cold water to give a batter the consistency of single cream; beat until smooth.
6 Spread the plain flour over a plate and lightly coat the mussels in it, shaking off any surplus flour.
7 Heat some vegetable oil in a deep pan. Put the mussels in the batter a few at a time and then carefully place them in the hot oil. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until golden brown.
8 Drain the mussels on kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve immediately, with a little of the reduced cooking liquid.
This dish is also lovely as a snack, served with a large bowl of garlic mayonnaise and plenty of fresh crusty bread.