Mussels in the Style of Charente
Print This Recipe
INGREDIENTS 18 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 garlic clove
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
6 sprigs fresh parsley, the leaves chopped and the stems reserved
1 carrot, sliced
1 strip orange peel
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon curry powder
Powdered saffron
Cayenne pepper
Orange-flower water, optional
2 egg yolksPut the garlic, sliced onion, the bay leaf, thyme, parsley stems, carrot, orange peel and white wine in a nonreactive pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the mussels, cover the pan and steam the mussels for about 3 minutes, until they open. As soon as they open, remove them from the heat. Break off and discard half of each shell and place the remaining meat-filled half in a baking dish. Discard any unopened mussels. Keep the filled shells warm in a 200 degree oven.
Strain the mussel cooking liquid through a double layer of dampened cheesecloth. Put the strained liquid, a pinch of saffron and the sour cream in a skillet and cook the mixture over high heat until 1/3 of the liquid has evaporated. Add the curry powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Remove this preparation from the stove. Add the egg yolks and stir quickly to thicken the sauce.
Taste, correcting the seasoning by adding a drop of orange-flower water if the sauce seems too sharp. Pour the sauce over the mussels. Dust them with the chopped parsley.
Serves 1