Greek cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Midia Tiganita

Shucked mussels fried in airy beer batter, served with a fiery garlic dip made from potato and olive oil.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 500 g mussel meat, shelled
• 150 g flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 200 ml light beer
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 floury potato
• 5 garlic cloves
• 120 ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 lemon
• 700 ml oil for frying
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Boil the potato in salted water 20 min. until soft, peel while still hot and press through a ricer; grind the garlic with 1 tsp salt in a mortar into a paste.
2. Stir together potato and garlic paste and whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream, season with vinegar and pepper – the skordalia should be thick and glossy; chill.
3. Rinse the mussel meat thoroughly, pat very dry and salt lightly, so the batter will adhere later.
4. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder and 1 pinch salt and whisk in the ice-cold beer only briefly, until a thick batter with small lumps forms.
5. Heat the frying oil to 180°C, draw the mussels through the batter in batches and fry 2–3 min., until puffed up golden brown; let the temperature come back up between batches.
6. Drain on kitchen paper, salt lightly right away and serve hot with the skordalia and lemon wedges.