Mussels marinara, Conero style

On the Conero coast, between Ancona and Portonovo, this is how they cook “moscioli”, the wild mussels that grow on the rocks and may be gathered only in the permitted months. The recipe is the same with farmed mussels, available all year: little heat, few ingredients, lots of aroma.

Ingredients for 4

• 1.5 kg mussels (or moscioli, in season)
• 2 garlic cloves
• A handful of parsley
• 1 lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons IL CONTE Blend
• Slices of toasted rustic bread, to serve

Method

1. Clean the mussels under running water: pull off the beard (the threads coming out of the shell) and scrape off any encrustations. Discard broken ones and open ones that do not close when tapped.
2. In a wide pan warm the oil with the crushed garlic over gentle heat for a couple of minutes.
3. Raise the heat, add the mussels and cover. After 4–5 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, they will be open. Discard any that stay closed.
4. Remove the garlic, season generously with pepper, add the chopped parsley and a few drops of lemon.
5. Serve at once with their juices and the toasted bread for mopping up.

The right oil

To open the mussels use the Blend, suited to cooking too; the juices formed with the mussels’ own water are the sauce. If you like bolder flavours, add a drizzle of raw Raggia single variety on the bread at the end.