Turmeric Ginger Mussels

I love steaming hot bowls of mussels. Mainly because most of my favorite mussel recipes are a comforting cross between a soup and a hearty hot meal. I started out desperately wanting to make Mouclade, a curried mussel dish that originated in the French port city of La Rochelle but ended up with a more Asian feeling bowl of turmeric ginger mussels.  In some ways, curry and mussels sound weird together, but the flavor combination is off the hook, especially when backed by coconut milk and hot chili peppers.

The real secret to this super easy dish is finding very fresh, high-quality mussels. You can use the widely available Prince Edward Island mussels, but there is no better mussel available in North America than those harvested in the clean, rich waters off the coast of Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. The company Salt Spring Island Mussels grows an unusually plump and sweet hybrid of Mediterranean mussels and blue mussels that flourish in the abundance and variety of phytoplankton and microalgae found in the waters there.

Beg your fishmonger to start carrying them.

Mussels steamed in turmeric and ginger, photo by Francois de Melogue

Turmeric Ginger Mussels

A quick and easy recipe for mussels that will become a family favorite.

• 1 onion (chopped)

• 1 red pepper (chopped)

• 2 cloves garlic (mashed)

• 2 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp ginger

• 1 tsp curry

• 1 hot pepper (cut in half)

• 1 can coconut milk

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 2 pounds mussels (cleaned and debearded)

• 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)

1. The lazy method: mix everything, bring to boil, eat.

2. The slightly less lazy way: saute onions and peppers and garlic. Add everything else, steam till done. eat.