Turkish Fried Mussels With ‘Tarator’ Sauce: “Midye Tava”
If you ever have to opportunity to visit Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, you’ll come across a selection of delicious street foods like no other around the world. Turkish street foods are so common that you’ll find everything. There is a wide variety from roasted chestnuts, fried, spiced tripe called “kokoreç,” succulent meatballs or crispy lamb strips wrapped in tortilla-like flatbread. Moreover, you will find grilled corn on the cob, stuffed baked potatoes called “kumpir,” and the best of the best, fried mussels, too.
Fried Mussels as Turkish Street Food as the “Best of Bests”
The mussels are battered and fried in a huge metal cauldron with the hot oil in the centre. And furthermore, a wide edge to arrange the sticks of cooked mussels. The edge serves to drain the excess oil as well as keep the mussels warm. You can have your mussels as is with a dollop of tangy “tarator” sauce for dipping. Or, you can have your mussels between crusts of Turkish bread as a sandwich. You can also find fried mussels with “tarator” at most Turkish restaurants serving fish fare.
Ingredients for Fried Mussels (Midye Tava)
- 3/4 cup plain yoghurt
- 1/2 cup crumbled white bread (crust removed)
- 6 walnut halves (crushed)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 36 to 40 mussels (shelled and cleaned)
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup club soda
- 1 egg yolk
- Oil for frying
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 4 1/4 cups water
How to Make Fried Mussels at Your Home?
1- First, prepare the tarator dipping sauce by combing the yoghurt, bread crumbs, crushed walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a chopper or food processor. Set the sauce aside to set.
2- Next, prepare the mussels. But, make sure the mussels have no remaining pieces of beard or debris. Rinse them under very cold water and pat them dry with paper towels.
Remaining Steps
7- Turn the mussels on the skewer as they cook with thongs so they brown evenly on all sides.