Mussels in a spicy and nutty sauce from Thomasina Miers.
Ingredients
- 2-3 dried chipotle chillies
- 2 kg live mussels
- 100 g slivered almonds
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 2 banana shallots peeled and finely chopped
- 100 g unsalted butter softened
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large handful finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Zest of ½ lemon finely grated
- 120 ml dry vermouth
- 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable
Servings:
Instructions
- Tear open the chipotles, discard the seeds and toast the flesh for 30-40 seconds in a medium-hot dry frying pan, until they smell fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl, add boiling water to cover and leave to rehydrate. (If using fresh chillies, omit this stage.)
- Meanwhile, scrub clean the mussels and remove their beards.
- Bash the almonds to small crumbs with a pestle and mortar (or put them in a plastic bag and whack with a rolling pin). Mix the nuts, garlic and shallots into the softened butter and season generously. If you prefer something smoother, blitz in a food processor.
- Once the chipotles are soft, finely chop and put them in a bowl with the parsley and the lemon juice and zest.
- Gently heat the vermouth in a small saucepan. Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid and, when it’s smoking hot, throw in the mussels, cover, shake the pot a few times, then leave on the flame for a minute.
- Pour in the hot vermouth, cover and leave the mussels to steam open – they’ll take five to eight minutes. Once the mussels are open, pour the cooking juices through a fine sieve into a bowl, holding back the mussels in the pan with a spoon. This will get rid of all the grit.
- Put the mussels back on a high heat and add the butter mix. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, then add the chipotles, parsley, lemon, and the reserved mussel juices. Serve in large heated bowls with crusty bread.
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