Buzara

If you plan on spending any time by the water in Croatia, you must sample some of the local seafood and fish. Buzara is a terrific way to get started. It basically translates to "stew" or "broth", and it is a quick and easy technique to prepare shellfish.

Buzara can be made with a variety of ingredients, including mussels, langoustine, shrimp, clams, or scampi, and is comparable to moules marinieres. White wine, parsley, and garlic form the foundation of this classic dish. As a finishing touch, breadcrumbs are frequently sprinkled on top.

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds of mussels
• 3/4 cup of olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
• 1 and 1/4 cup white wine
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 baguette (optional for serving)

Instructions:

• Gather the necessary ingredients.
• Scrub and debeard the mussels. The hairy item dangling from one side of the shell is the "beard". With a side-to-side motion, pull it off.
• Add debearded mussels, 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, and 8 garlic cloves (more or less) to a large, hot skillet. Allow it to simmer, undisturbed, until the mussels are just starting to open. Stir in 1 and 1/4 cup dry white wine, coarse sea salt, and black pepper to taste, then reduce heat to low.
• Let all of the shells open, stirring once in a while. If any shells do not open by the conclusion of the cooking time, discard them. Return the heat to high to speed up the cooking process while avoiding toughening the mussel meat.
• Mix in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of fresh breadcrumbs to the broth, but make sure there is still enough moisture. Serve it with crusty bread.