These plump tender mussels are of the hightest quality. The curry/ginger/garlic/cream broth is wonderful to slurp. Try a dry Riesling to complement the curry flavours and the mussels.
Fabulous mussels grow in PEI...and the best mussels dishes are cooked right in downtown Charlottetown, steps from the water. The name of the place is Flex Mussels and the chef partner in the stylish/casual eaterie is Garner Quain. He began his career steaming these tasty blue mussels Mytilus edulis with a mussel and fry shack back in 2005, in nearby Summerside.
Chef Quain serves 23 different steamed mussel dishes, priced from $16 to $20 per pound, depending on the ingredients that swim along with the bivalves. Flavours are as different as you taste in Thailand, India, Peking, Provence and Ireland and with ingredients from saffron to wild mushrooms to lobster to enhance the plump mussels. Other "not mussels" are available - seafood includes PEI oysters, Kim Dormaar's pepper smoked salmon, PEI oysters, fish and chips, halibut with hummus and the classic Maritime sandwich, lobster rolls. So nobody is left out, there are meat and poultry dishes, but in an eatery called Flex Mussels, go for the mussels. And there's always room for a round of hand-cut fries.
As a mussel aficionada, I had a delicious time with the Bombay Mussels - the restaurant's most popular steamed mussels. There was just enough curry, ginger and garlic-flavoured broth to scoop up with the empty shells, and soak up with slices of an excellent baguette.
This tropical combo of mango, ginger and coriander complement fresh sea-seasoned mussels.
Bombay Mussels
This makes a lovely supper for two - or appetizer course for four. The recipe has been slightly adapted.
2 lb (1kg) mussels
1 tsp (5 mL) vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped gingerroot
2 tbsp (30 mL) mango puree or finely diced mango
1 tbsp (15 mL) mild curry paste, Patak recommended
1/4 cup (50 mL) white wine
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream (35%)
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sesame oil
4 full sprigs of fresh washed coriander (cilantro), roots removed and chopped
Half lime
1 crusty French baguette, sliced.
. Check mussels, discarding any that don't close when tapped.
A little gape is not unusual for cultivated mussels. Always keep them in the refrigerator until just before cooking.
Fresh live mussels close obediently - give them a minute or two just to be sure. Discard any that continue to gape.
. Pull out and snip off any beards and rinse; set aside.
There's no mistaking the "beard" the common name for the byssus of a byvalve mussel. According to The Food Encyclopedia (Jacques L. Rolland and Carol Sherman, Robert Rose publisher) the byssus is "made up of a network of silky filaments it secretes and uses to adhere to rocks."
. In 4 to 6 quart (4 to 6 L) saucpean, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, mango and curry paste; fry for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. The goal here is to warm the ingredients just enough to ‘awaken’ them. Exercise caution, as excessive heat makes the curry bitter.
The combination of fresh ginger, garlic and mango is aromatherapy of the most enchanting kind.
. Stir in the wine, and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot smooth. Add the cream, sesame oil and half of the coriander. Bring to a boil over high heat; add the mussels. Stir to coat evenly.
A wide saucepan with a heavy bottom is the best for cooking mussels. There's room for the mussels to open, and covered, the liquid comes back to the boil immediately, steaming the mussels quickly, without toughening them.
. Cover and steam for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring gently midway, until the mussels have opened wide. Discard any that have not.
Be sure to check mussels at the beginning of the suggested time.
. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a warmed serving dish. Reduce the sauce by a third or to desired consistency, about 2 minutes Meanwhile, squeeze the fresh lime over the mussels. Pour the reduced sauce over mussels and garnish with remaining chopped coriander. Serve immediately with plenty of crusty baguette.
© flex musssels, inc. 2008
Mussel Pointers:.
When choosing fresh mussels, first shop in a fishmonger's or grocery store with a high turnover. Look for tightly closed shells and a sweet ocean salt-water fragrance. If a slightly open mussel does not close in response to a light ‘tap’ or squeeze, discard it.
The clerk at the fish counter will often wrap your mussels in a plastic bag. Keep in mind that mussels need air. So, as soon as you get home, transfer the mussels onto a rack in a shallow bowl and refrigerate, uncovered in the lowest part of your fridge. Plan on eating fresh mussels the day you buy them. If you have to wait, cover the mussels with a light clean tea towel you've wet and wrung out. Mussels will last a day or two in your fridge.
Although today’s cultured mussels arrive at the market cleaned, you may find a few that still have their “beards”, the super-strong threads that mussels use to attach themselves to rocks in the wild, or to the long mesh socks in which they grow when cultivated. Pull the beard out and towards the pointed end of the shell. Cut off on the sharp edge of the shell, or snip off with scissors. Then rinse the mussels in cold water. Gone are the days when you had to scrub mussels - Canadian farmed mussels, whether from Iles de la Madeleine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland or PEI are prescrubbed - a few minute to check and they're ready for the pot.
The key to making great mussels is speed. Have all of your ingredients ready before you cook the mussels. To prevent overcooking and toughening, work with high heat and a short cooking time.
Don’t overload a pot with mussels. For this recipe and others that include 1 to 2 lb (500 g to 1 kg) mussels, use a 4 to 6 quart (4 to 6 L) saucepan with a heavy bottom and tight-fitting lid. If you're cooking in quantity, consider making several batches
Flex Mussels is at 2 Lower Water Street (PO box 25008), Charlottetown PEI C1A 9N4. You can call 902-569-0200 or email at info@flexmussels.com. Check the website www.flexmussels.com where you can watch the musselcam - mussels do grow slowly so you'll need to check back often.
