Midye Dolma (Turkish Stuffed Mussels)

Mussels filled with a spiced rice stuffing and gently steamed in their shells, served with a generous squeeze of lemon — an iconic Turkish street food seafood meze.

Prep: 45 minutes | Cook: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 servings (as meze)

Ingredients

• 30 cleaned mussels, in the shell

• 1 cup rice

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoon pine nuts

• 1 tablespoon currants

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon allspice

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 bunch dill, finely chopped

• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Scrub and rinse the mussels thoroughly, then carefully pry them open with a knife without fully separating the shells.

2. Rinse the rice and soak in water for 10 minutes, then drain.

3. Heat the olive oil and toast the pine nuts until lightly golden, then add the onion and sauté until translucent.

4. Add the currants, rice, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, and salt, and stir for 2-3 minutes; remove from heat and stir in the dill to finish the stuffing.

5. Fill each mussel with about a teaspoon of stuffing and gently close the shells.

6. Arrange the stuffed mussels tightly in a pot, add water to just cover them, and weigh them down with a plate.

7. Steam over low heat for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked and the mussels have absorbed their own liquid.

8. Let cool and serve with lemon wedges.