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Miesmuscheln mit Curry (Mussels with Curry Sauce)

Miesmuscheln mit Curry (Mussels with Curry Sauce) is a traditional Namibian recipe for a classic dish of mussel meats in a wine-based curry sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Namibian version of: Mussels with Curry Sauce (Miesmuscheln mit Curry).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

30 minutes

Total Time:

50 minutes

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : CurrySpice RecipesVegetable RecipesNamibia Recipes

Many of the most well known Namibian dishes have their origins in South Africa and this recipe is no exception. It was both the British and the Cape Malay who brought curry to South Africa and the style of cookery quickly spread through Southern Africa as a whole.

Namibia, however, was a German colony at the time and they adapted curry to their own style of cookery, using it as a flavouring for the wine and cream-based sauces that they preferred.

Ingredients:

1kg live mussels
170ml water
170ml dry white wine
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp single cream
4 tbsp mayonnaise
a few sprigs of fresh dill, to garnish

Method:

Scrub and de-beard the mussels and discard any that are open as these are dead (to check if any open ones are still alive, rap sharply on a work surface, if they close then they are ok, if they remain open they are dead and should be discarded).

Combine the water, white wine, garlic and thyme in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring just to a boil then add the mussels and cook, lidded, over medium heat for about 6 minutes, shaking from time to time, until the shells have opened.

Take the pan off the heat and remove any unopened mussels if desired (the only real reason for discarding these is that it's hard to get at the meat; my wife, who is West African is horrified at the way we discard perfectly edible mussels just because they did not open when cooked).

Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool until the mussels can easily be handled. When cooled, pour the stock through a fine-meshed sieve and reserve. Take the mussels and open them. The meat will, in most cases, stay partially attached to one half-shell (discard the other shell half). Arrange the shells containing the mussels evenly between four serving plates.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the shallots and celery and sweat down gently for 5 minutes. Scatter over the curry powder and flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly, then whisk in 250ml of the reserved mussel cooking liquor. Bring to a simmer and cook the curry sauce for about 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly then stir in the cream, milk and mayonnaise. Beat with a whisk to combine, pour over the mussels and garnish each plate with a few sprigs of fresh dill.

Serve immediately, accompanied by a baguette.