Fried Mussel Brochettes- MIDYE TAVA

Mussels are one of Turkey’s most typical street foods. You can buy them stuffed, often beautifully arranged over metal trays lined with old newspaper, or you can have them fried, stuffed in a fat baguette with tarator drizzled all over them. The vendor threads the mussels on wooden skewers then dips them in water, then flour for what seems like a hundred times to build up a nice coat before dropping them into a huge pan full of hot oil. Fresh anchovies are also prepared and fried in the same way. You need a very large skillet to fry skewers, so if you don’t have one, simply fry the mussels without threading them on skewers (see Note). I am not so keen on dipping the mussels in water, then flour, so instead I use a light batter to have more delicate mussel fritters. The batter recipe I give here comes from Bill Briwa, who worked at the French Laundry before joining the teaching staff of the CIA in St. Helena, Napa, California. Serve with a salad of your choice and good bread.

SERVES: 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:

• • BATTER
    • 1½ cups (175 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
    • Just under ⅓ cup (50 g) cornstarch
    • ½ tablespoon baking soda
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • 1¼ cups (310 ml) sparkling water

• • TO FINISH
    • 45 large mussels, steamed and shucked (or 36 fresh anchovies)
    • Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
    • Salt
    • Turkish Tarator
    • Lemon wedges

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. Make the batter by whisking together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and sparkling water until smooth.
   2. Thread the mussels onto bamboo skewers (2 per person) or fry individually.
   3. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot.
   4. Drop skewers or individual mussels in the batter, stir to coat evenly, and fry in hot oil until golden.
   5. Drain excess oil on a wire rack and sprinkle with salt if necessary.
   6. Serve hot with tarator sauce and lemon wedges.

NOTE:

• If the skillet is not large enough for skewers, fry mussels individually