Chef Philippe Etchebest’s original recipe for mussels with curry is a real delight.
We all know the iconic mussel dish, very popular during the Braderie de Lille where nearly 500 tons are consumed each year. And that’s good, the event is approaching and we are entering the period of the months ending in “bre” (September, October, November and December) when it is more than advisable to eat it! If the traditional mussel dish is covered with a sauce called “marinière” (white wine, garlic, shallots, parsley and butter), chef Philippe Etchebest does not hesitate to break the codes by offering his curry variation. “An easy and inexpensive recipe”, true to his credo, and which will delight your taste buds.
“The technique and the principle are like the moules marinière, except that I’m going to add a little curry, a little cream, a little coriander and some vin jaune” explains the sworn chef in Top Chef. For 2 people, plan on 1.5 kg of bouchot mussels, 2-3 shallots, 4 cloves of garlic, 8 sprigs of coriander, 10 grams of butter, a tablespoon of curry, 15 centilitres of liquid crème fraîche and 15 centilitres of vin jaune.
We start by washing the mussels, stirring them quickly. Be careful not to let the mussels stagnate in the water “otherwise they will open and lose their water, the best. So you have to stir them well and take them out quickly”, specifies Philippe Etchebest. We put them in a large container. Then peel the shallots and garlic cloves, remembering to remove the small green germ of the garlic which gives bitterness. Then chop the shallots and then the garlic.
Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Meanwhile, mince the coriander. When the butter is hot, sweat the garlic and shallot without coloring them. Add the curry and then the yellow wine. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, add the mussels. Mix everything well, then cover the saucepan to cook them in a saucepan, leaving the heat on high. “As soon as the first mussels open, you have to stop” cooking and take them out immediately, otherwise they risk becoming “rubbery”. Don’t worry if they are not all open, they will open right after. The important thing is that they have “a very soft texture”, specifies the chef. Finally, add the crème fraîche to the mixture, then the coriander at the very last moment so that its flavor infuses into the broth without cooking it and pour everything over the cooked mussels.
And there you have it, it’s ready! Chef Philippe Etchebest specifies that it is entirely possible to “deviate from the recipe and bring in different tastes”. Tarragon and parsley can completely replace coriander, which is more exotic but does not suit everyone. Vin jaune can be replaced by white wine, which is included in the classic recipe for moules marinière. Ready to treat yourself? Accompany your mussels with good homemade fries!