Mussels with curried pea cream, crunchy breadcrumbs

Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 45 mins
Ingredients
  • 1tbs butter
  • 1 small onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced, plus 1 extra for the breadcrumbs
  • 200ml dry cider
  • 1½kg mussels, debearded and cleaned
  • 1tsp curry powder
  • 200g petits pois, defrosted
  • 150ml cream
  • Fresh coriander
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 3tbs olive oil
  • 100g Panko breadcrumbs (normal will do too)

1 Put the butter in a pot along with the onion and garlic, then cook for five minutes on a medium heat.

2 Add the cider followed by the mussels, cover and cook on a high heat, shaking the pot now and then until the mussels all open. This will only take two to three minutes depending on the size of the mussels.

3 Place a colander into a large bowl and drain the mussels, allowing the juice to flow into the bowl. Remove the colander with the mussels and set aside.

4 Let the mussel juice sit for a few minutes – this will allow any sediment to sink to the bottom of the bowl – then decant the liquor back into the pot.

5 Add the curry powder, petits pois, cream and coriander to the juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes.

6 Season and blend with a stick blender (this can be done ahead of time and reheated).

7 Meanwhile, put the olive oil into a small frying pan along with the breadcrumbs. Half the garlic and add it in. Season, then cook the breadcrumbs carefully over a medium heat until golden and crunchy .

8 Take the top shells off the mussels and discard.

9 When ready to serve, warm the pea cream and then drop in the mussels to heat up, but be careful not to cook them any further.

10 Divide into warm bowls and top with the crunchy breadcrumbs.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford