The stuffed mussels Viareggio style with mortadella…what???????? MUSSELS WITH MORTADELLA???? What the heck, impossible or rather yuck, who knows what they taste like come on come on!!!
Well, I confess that the STUFFED MUSSELS WITH FINELY CHOPPED MORTADELLA, GRATED GRANA, BREADCRUMBS, AN EGG, SALT AND PEPPER AND PARSLEY...
a…..r…..e DELICIOUSSSSSSSSSSSS!
I started making this fish, or rather mollusk, recipe a bit hesitant, especially because cooked mortadella ehm ehm is not really my favorite, but here finely chopped, it blends, adds flavor and it’s truly divine!
THE RECIPE OF MUSSELS OR MOLLUSKS STUFFED VIAREGGIO STYLE with mortadella has Tuscan origins, actually Viareggio (who would have thought right?) and includes, besides the aforementioned ingredients, garlic and optionally ground beef.
In Tuscany and Liguria, there are also other versions that do not include the addition of fresh ripe diced tomatoes and are strictly without it.
Even the sauce where the STUFFED MUSSELS with MORTADELLA Viareggio style has variations because in some recipes, like the Livorno version, it doesn’t include the classic soffritto of carrots, celery, onion and neither the white wine to be reduced during cooking.
Personally, I simply chopped some ripe tomatoes coarsely to then quickly cook them in the wok with extra virgin olive oil and garlic cloves.
MUSSELS TUSCAN STYLE WITH THE COLD CUT also called “Bologna” require a bit of patience because after filling the mussel shells, you need to tie them one by one with the cotton string used for tying roasts, and it takes some time, whether willing or not!
TUSCAN STYLE STUFFED MUSSELS WITH MORTADELLA are a delightful appetizer that I recommend and I am sure you will love them too!
Still on the topic of mussels mollusks, whatever you want to call them, here are some recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs mussels
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Grana Padano, grated
- 5.3 oz mortadella
- 3 cloves garlic
- 8 tomatoes (ripe and firm)
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste parsley
Tools
#ADV
- Bowls
- Mixer
- Wok
- Kitchen String
- Knives
Steps
1) I usually buy the MUSSELS after having them already cleaned by the fishmonger and today I did the same and at home, after putting them in a bowl with water to rinse them, I checked them one by one removing the byssus (the beard) and any remaining incrustations.
2) The original recipe for MUSSELS VIAREGGIO STYLE STUFFED WITH A MORTADELLA-BASED FILLING would have the mussels opened raw with a special knife, something I didn’t even think of doing, because these gestures are for experts and I am not one!
3) After cleaning the mussels, I placed them in the wok over medium-high heat where I had put a garlic clove and some parsley stems and leaves.
4) I added the lid and allowed the shells to open, occasionally shaking the pan, a few minutes will suffice and they will be ready!
5) In the mixer, I put the garlic clove, parsley, breadcrumbs, grated Grana, the MORTADELLA, the egg and activated the machine to create the filling mixture, which if too compact can be softened with a drop of milk or by adding another egg.
6) I seasoned with salt and pepper and started filling the MUSSELS and then patiently tied them with kitchen string, the kind used for roasts!
7) In the meantime, I can prepare the SAUCE and so in the same cleaned pan where I opened the mollusks I put the extra virgin olive oil and garlic clove.
8) As soon as it sizzles, I add the well-ripened and firm tomatoes washed and cut into coarse pieces,
9) I salt everything and let it cook for a few minutes, then add the mussels Viareggio style with a MORTADELLA filling and continue cooking for about another 15 minutes.
10) HURRAY…we are ready to enjoy this special dish based on mussels VIAREGGIO STYLE STUFFED MUSSELS WITH MORTADELLA!
Enjoy your meal!
Annalisa
P.S. A kind gesture would be to cut the string BEFORE serving otherwise…
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Annalisa says….
MUSSELS with mortadella filling, breadcrumbs, Grana are definitely a very appetizing seafood dish, a FISH APPETIZER that requires a bit of work but is rewarded by the goodness of this sea dish!!!!!!!
Maybe the tomatoes are too many but I wanted to have an abundant sauce to mop up with bread!
