Midye dolma are mussels stuffed with spiced rice. It is a popular Turkish street food. It is a dish eaten with your hands, while standing, and usually in large quantities.
The origin of this dish is firmly linked to the coastal regions of Turkey and reflects the cosmopolitan history of the Ottoman Empire, where influences of Greek, Armenian, and Turkish cuisine mingled. The name is literal – “midye” means mussel and “dolma” refers to anything stuffed, which is a technique typical for the entire region (think of stuffed vine leaves or peppers).
Historically, it was a way to feed people in ports cheaply and tastily by combining available protein from the sea and filling rice.
Today, midye dolma is primarily a late-night food. Vendors with large round trays and folding stools stand on street corners and lure passersby, often late at night when people are leaving bars and need something to soak up the alcohol and fill their stomachs without having to sit at a table and wait for service.
The foundation is, of course, fresh blue mussels, which must be large enough to hold the filling. The second half of the recipe consists of rice, usually round-grain or medium-grain, which has the ability to absorb flavors and become sticky and compact after cooking, not fluffy. What makes midye dolma addictive is the specific spice blend. Allspice, cinnamon, and black pepper often dominate. An integral part is also a large amount of onion, which is slowly sautéed until it softens and sweetens. In some, rather historical or more luxurious versions, pine nuts are also added.
Preparation begins with the least fun and most laborious part, which is the thorough mechanical cleaning of the shells to remove sand and lime deposits. Crucial is opening the raw mussel with a knife so as not to break the joint on the back; the shell must function as a hinge holding the two halves together. The rice is not precooked until soft, but only briefly sautéed with onions and spices and moistened with a little water to absorb the aroma while remaining hard in the center. Then the mixture is manually stuffed into the shells, which are subsequently arranged in the pot in precise concentric circles. They are steamed with a little water and olive oil. During this process, the rice swells and completely fills the space of the shell.
Midye dolma is eaten with hands, often directly on the street at the vendor’s stall. Lemon is essential. It’s not the same without it. The eating technique is simple: you break off the top (empty) shell, use it as a spoon to scoop up the filling with the meat from the bottom shell, and put the whole bite into your mouth. It is a filling, yet conceptually light dish.
Stuffed mussels are ubiquitous in Turkey, so you will encounter them literally on every corner. I like to return for them to the Güneş Kokoreç Restaurant in the Asian part of Istanbul (see Where to Eat in Istanbul), where they always have a fresh batch. However, I also have an unforgettable experience from shopping in the busy surroundings of the Grand Bazaar, where I was spontaneously invited for this delicacy. One stuffed mussel costs 3 TRY (0.15 EUR).
Bon appétit!
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