Schilcher mussels à la Rudolfo

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 2 kg mussels, cozze
• 2 kg mussels (Verace clams), Verace clams
• 2 kg white onions
• 0.35 liters of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 kg tomato(s), peeled, pomodore pellate
• 2 bulbs garlic, Aglio
• 6 chili peppers, dried, peperoncini, Lombok
• 4 bunch parsley, prezzemolo
• ¾ liter wine, dry, Schilcher, onion-colored to ruby ​​red, high acidity

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

You’ll need a 12-liter saucepan (22 cm high and 28 cm in diameter) to properly lift the mussels. The Vongole Verace, in particular, break easily and are easily crushed. The Cozze must be meticulously cleaned, and this is an essential criterion for applause at the table. First, remove the beard, then rub the mussels with a wire brush (the ones for stainless steel work best, also available at Aldi), until all dirt and algae residue is removed. Scrape off limescale with a knife. Keep in mind that cleaning takes about 25 minutes per kg of Cozze. It’s a tedious task on its own, but when offering various aperitifs, helpers were always found, and it was fun, too. The Vongole Verace only need to be rinsed a few times, changing the water 6 to 7 times until only pure water runs through. Then put the sea salt in a bowl. Empty the mussels and add cold water until the mussels are covered. Stir by hand to dissolve the salt. (In the brine, the mussels will expel any sand residue, so you won’t notice any teeth grinding as you enjoy them.) After 30 minutes to 1 hour, drain the water, rinse the mussels again, and check them individually. Discard any open, damaged, squashed, or otherwise suspect mussels and set aside the others, hand-picked, for further processing. Roughly chop the onion and parsley, medium-coarsely chop the garlic, and finely chop the chili peppers. Place the olive oil in a large pot and chill with the onions. Heat until the onions are slightly translucent, then add the garlic and chili peppers. Don’t forget to stir. The garlic must not brown, or the dish will become bitter. Stir in the Pomodoro pellate and pour in the Schilcher (you can take a sip as a taste; it’s plentiful). Bring to a boil briefly, then add the mussels. Stir occasionally (do not poke or stir). After a cooking time of 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the pot and the amount of liquid, the mussels will burst open and release their juices, a final touch. For this reason, do not add any salt. The mussels are now ready; stir in the parsley and serve. It’s best served in deep plates to allow for the juices to flow, and serve with slices of baguette. It’s a good idea to include a spoon with the cutlery, as experience has shown that guests always order them. If you follow the instructions exactly, you won’t have mussels like in a restaurant on the table, but Schilcher mussels à la Rudolfo, which friends said they wouldn’t eat any other, and which the Italians said to me: Rudolfo, what did you do with the mussels? We’ve never had such good ones.