Last Updated on January 26, 2024 by Carne Diem
Protein: Seafood
Origin: European, Croatian
Method: Grill or smoker or Stovetop
Jump to RecipeThis Croatian seafood dish of mussels cooked with white wine, garlic, parsley and breadcrumbs is a common dish you will find in Adriatic counties. This easy mussel recipe requires only a few ingredients and can be made on your stovetop or even on a grill or smoker.
Table of contents
We are a big fan of seafood, and some of our favorite seafood that we have had while travelling has been simple seafood dishes along the Adriatic coast. There are few things better than sitting back enjoying simply prepared, yet fresh and wonderful seafood, while drinking a glass of wine and watching the sunset on a rooftop restaurant along the Adriatic Sea.
What is Dagnje na Buzaru?
One of the most traditional Croatian seafood dishes is Dagnje na buzaru, or simply buzara meaning stew (Dagnje translates to mussels). This delectable Croatian dish is a simple combination of mussels cooked in olive oil, garlic, parsley, white wine, and breadcrumbs.
After trying these Wood Fired Croatian Mussels, be sure to check out more recipes from the Balkans, including our Cevapi: Balkan Style Kebobs recipe.
Cooking the Dagnje na Buzaru
Prepare the mussels
Rinse the mussels under cold water and remove any of the beards with a brush. Discard any mussels that are cracked.
Stovetop method for the Dagnje na Buzaru
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan, wok, or paella pan. Add the garlic and parsley and cook until the garlic is just beginning to brown. Typically about 1-2 minutes.
Add in the mussels, give a quick stir. After this do not stir the mussels, but instead shake the pan to mix. Cook the mussels until they are just beginning to open. Typically 3-5 minutes.
Add the white wine and give the mussels a shake. Cook until the mussels are open then remove from heat and sprinkle in the breadcrumbs. Shake well to combine.
If there are any mussels that failed to open, remove and discard them.
Serve warm with some crusty bread to soak up the extra sauce.
Wood Fired Croatian Mussels
To make mussels on a grill or smoker, set up a grill or smoker for indirect heat and preheat to 350 degrees. To save time, you can preheat the pan with the oil in the smoker. We like to use a wok or cast iron pan. If your pan is on the smaller side, we would recommend cooking the mussels in 2 batches to ensure they are not too overcrowded and so they cook evenly.
Next, add the garlic and parsley and cook cook about 5 minutes, until the garlic is starting to brown.
Add in the mussels, close the lid and cook for about 10 minutes, until the mussels are just starting to open.
Next add in the white wine and stir to combine then close the lid and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until the mussels are open. Check about every 5 minutes and stir halfway through this time to make sure all of the mussels are getting even heat.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs. Remove and discard any unopened mussels.
Serve warm with crusty bread.
If you are looking for more great seafood recipes to try on the grill, be sure to check out some of our other grilled and smoked seafood recipes:
- Dragos-style Chargrilled Oysters
- Wood-Fired Seafood Paella
- Greek Grilled Shrimp with Basil-Orange Orzo
- Smoked Miso Black Cod: Misoyaki Butterfish
- Grilled Clams Casino
- Cajun Crawfish Po' Boy With Spicy Remoulade
- Grilled Red Snapper Escovitch
- Pina Colada Shrimp Skewers
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh mussels should be stored, in a refrigerator. Cover the mussels with a clean damp cloth or paper towel. Do not put in an airtight container and do not store the mussels in water. Fresh mussels can be stored in this manner up to 2 - 5 days, but using sooner is typically better.
Almost all store bought mussels will have already been purged of sand. If you are using freshly caught mussels you will want to soak them first.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog. If you tried and enjoyed our recipe, please share with others and please leave us a comment and review. We also love to see your pics so don’t forget to tag us @Carne_Diem_Culinary or #CarneDiemBlog. To be notified of future recipes please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, or sign up for our e-mail notifications. Until next time, Carne Diem!
📖 Recipe
Wood Fired Croatian Mussels (Dagnje na Buzaru)
Equipment
- Grill or Smoker
- Large paella pan, wok, or other circular saute pan
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds Fresh Mussels about 30-40
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoon Garlic minced
- ¼ cup Parsley Loosely packed
- 1 cup Dry White Wine
- ¼ cup Breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Rinse the mussels under cold water and scrub off the beards. Discard any cracked mussels.
Classic Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan, wok, or paella pan, over medium heat then add the garlic and parsley and cook until the garlic is just beginning to brown. Typically 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the mussels, give a quick stir and cook until just beginning to open. Typically 3-5 minutes.
- Add the white wine and shake the pan to combine. Cook until the mussels are open then remove from heat and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs. Shake the pan to combine.
- Remove and discard any unopened mussels.
- Serve warm with some crusty bread.
Wood Fired Method
- Set up a grill or smoker for indirect heat and preheat to 350 degrees. To save time, you can preheat the pan with the oil in the smoker. Note: if your pan is on the small side you may want to cook in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Add the garlic and parsley and cook about 5 minutes, until the garlic is starting to brown.
- Stir in the mussels and cook for about 10 minutes, until the mussels are just starting to open.
- Stir in the white wine and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until the mussels are open. Stir halfway through this time to make sure all of the mussels are getting even heat.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs. Remove and discard any unopened mussels.
- Serve warm with crusty bread.
Comments
No Comments