Bring bold South African flavours to your table with fresh mussels cooked in a rich Cape Malay curry broth. Finished with fresh lemon, this easy recipe is ideal for sharing with family and friends. Serve with warm bread to soak up every last drop of the flavourful broth.
Curry Broth
1kg Food Lover’s Market Frozen Whole Shell Mussels, cleaned and debearded
30ml (2 Tbsp) Food Lover’s Salted Butter
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) Food Lover’s Cape Malay Curry Paste , to taste
200ml (¾ cup) coconut cream
100ml (⅓ cup) fresh cream, optional
To Finish
Juice of ½ a lemon, plus the other half cut into wedges to garnish
Small handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Small handful fresh dill, roughly picked 2 red chillies, sliced
Sea salt, to taste
Crusty Food Lover’s Market Baguette, to serve
Heat the butter in a wide, shallow pot over medium heat.
Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and curry paste, and toast for 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the coconut cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the mussels, cover, and steam for 5-6 minutes until the shells open. Discard any that stay shut.
Stir through the lemon juice, half the herbs and red chilli.
Transfer to a wide, shallow serving dish and spoon the broth generously over the top.
Finish with the remaining herbs, lemon wedges and a drizzle of broth for shine.
Serve with crusty bread.
Chef’s Tip
The moment the shells pop open, pull the pot off the heat. Residual steam finishes the job while you plate, keeping the mussels plump rather than rubbery.
