Mussels are one of my favorite foods, and so easy to prepare, it’s crazy that I don’t make them more often. This was an interesting variation, with cream and curry. Serves 2 generously:
Curry Mussels
- 2 pounds mussels
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 small bunch parsley, leaves picked and stalks reserved
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
- Pinch of saffron (optional)
- Salt and black pepper
Rinse and clean the mussels in cold water, tugging off any beards and discarding any with badly broken shells. (Don’t worry about open or closed ones at this point.)
Put in a large pan with the garlic, parsley stalks (they’re easier to pick out if you leave them in one piece) and wine, cover and cook over a medium-low heat, shaking the pan occasionally to move the mussels around, until the shells open.
Drain the mussels through a strainer set over a heatproof bowl to catch the cooking liquor. Discard any shells that have remained tightly closed.
Melt the butter in a medium pan and fry the shallots until soft. Stir in the curry powder, cook for a minute or so, then add the mussel cooking liquid and bring to a simmer. Bubble until reduced by about half. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley leaves.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cream.
Season to taste, then divide the mussels between bowls and pour over the sauce. Scatter with chopped parsley and enjoy!
My verdict:
Good, but not my favorite way to have mussels. A few tweaks and this might be a contender.
Since curry powders vary so much, and my long-time favorite lemon curry is no more, that might have been the issue.
I used saffron, which gets a little lost with the curry, but gives the sauce a lovely color. If you don’t have any, or are saving it, save it for a dish it will shine in.
If you’re lazy (like me) you can just toss in some whole parsley stalks and chop some leaves for the garnish, no need to separate the whole bunch.
