Mussels Steamed in a Curry Broth

From the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Serves

Introduction

Here’s an easy, elegant first course. Set the table with little forks and soup spoons. This way guests can pull mollusks from their shells, then slurp up the flavorful broth. They won’t want to miss a drop! If mussels are unavailable, you can use clams.

Ingredients

	3½	lb. mussels, in their shells
	2	Tbsp. unsalted butter
	1	Tbsp. curry powder
	1	small yellow onion (about 4 ounces), peeled and diced
	2	sprigs fresh thyme
	¾	cup dry white wine
	½	cup bottled clam juice
	½	tsp. salt
	~	Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
	1	tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
	3	Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
	1	baguette or crusty breadsticks

Steps

To prepare mussels, place in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Discard any that do not close after being rinsed. If a mussel feels heavy, chances are it is filled with sand. Try to pry it open; the sand-filled mussels will open easily. Pull off or trim beards–the thick whiskers from between their shells–with a pair of kitchen shears.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Warm bread in oven for 10 minutes.
In a heavy, 6-quart saucepan or Dutch oven fitted with a lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add curry powder and sauté, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add onion and continue sautéing for 2 minutes longer. Add thyme, wine, clam juice, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cover and bring broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add mussels, cover, and steam until mussels have opened, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove mussels to 8 individual bowls. Add lemon juice and parsley to broth. Taste broth, and adjust the flavors by adding more salt or pepper if desired. Ladle broth over mussels, then serve immediately with bread or breadsticks. Place a couple of empty bowls on the table to hold shells.

Notes

To turn this recipe into an easy main course, serve it over linguine. Allowing 1/4 pound of pasta per person, this recipe will have enough “sauce” for 4 servings.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.