Mussels are a versatile and sustainable seafood option and chickpeas are a nutritious ingredient. Mussels cook quickly, are economical and their seafood flavour make them a popular choice.
Chickpeas can be incorporated into dishes with a variety of herbs and other ingredients to create new and exciting flavours. In Italian cuisine, mussels are known as cozze.
MUSSELS FEATURE IN MANY CUISINES
Mussels or vongole (also known as cockles or pipis) cooked with pulses, typically chickpeas, cannellini or lima beans, are a feature of many cuisines, including Italian, Moroccan, French, Spanish and Greek. Each cuisine may have variations. For example, Italian recipes often use parsley, French recipes may suggest thyme, Moroccan recipes may add harissa and Spanish recipes may include chorizo. Fennel, which is in season, has an aniseed and liquorice-like flavour that complements the taste of any seafood.
I also emphasise the flavour of fennel by adding one teaspoon of fennel seeds or substituting the wine with an anise-flavoured alcoholic beverage such as Ricard, Pastis or Pernod (French) or Raki (Turkey). Ouzo (Greek) and Sambuca (Italian) are sweeter in taste (containing sugar) so unless you particularly favour sweetness, do not use excessive quantities. I have mentioned the most popular of these alcoholic beverages, but there are others in other countries.
I use a significant amount of wine or alcohol in my cooking, but this is not a requirement. I do not use salt when cooking mussels as they release their own liquid, which is usually sufficiently salty.
MUSSELS WITH CHICKPEAS
INGREDIENTS
1 k mussels, scrubbed and beards removed 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup white wine or ½ cup of anise flavoured alcohol and ½ cup of water or if you have cooked the chickpeas yourself, use the liquid1 bulb fennel or 3 stalks of young celery ½ cup chopped fresh parsley 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 cups of cooked chickpeas (home cooked or canned) pepper or chilli flakes METHOD Prepare the fennel: remove the tough outer leaves, slice the fennel and chop finely any of the fronds. Because I prefer to have some crunch in the fennel I slice it into medium -thin slices, but if you prefer it to be soft, slice it very thinly. Substitute the fennel with celery if you prefer. Use a heavy bottomed large saucepan with a tight fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and sauté the garlic, sliced fennel and fennel fronds. Add chickpeas, parsley, pepper or chilli flakes to taste and 1 cup of liquid – either wine or anise flavoured alcohol and water – and bring to the boil. Add mussels, cover and cook until they open. Serve with the broth. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top. Use bread to mop up the juices. Other recipes: SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD, current information and recipes MUSSELS IN TRIESTE and Mussel recipes