Mouclade Steamed Mussels in Saffron Curry Sauce

In a small dish, place saffron threads and hot (not boiling) water and allow it to steep at least 15 minutes or longer, until you’re ready to use.

Clean mussels by rinsing under cold running tap water, pulling off any beards and ridding shells of barnacles (I like to use a metal teaspoon to scrape them off). Place them into a large lidded pan or pot, along with the white wine. Line a large colander with 2 to 3 layers of cheesecloth (to catch grit) set over a larger pot or bowl to catch the steaming liquid – set aside.

Steam the pot of mussels over high heat for about 4 minutes, or until all the shells have opened. Strain the mussels over your cheesecloth-lined colander, reserving the liquid. You should have about 1 to 1 ¼ cup of steaming liquid. Discard any closed mussels. Cover the mussels to keep them warm while you finish the sauce.

While the mussels steam, in a separate sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onions with a pinch of kosher salt and sauté 1 minute, then add minced garlic and curry powder. Cook for 2 more minutes. Add cognac (or brandy) and allow it to boil off for about 3 minutes or until the liquid is pretty much evaporated. Add flour and cook for a minute, whisking constantly. Pour in the reserved steaming liquid and the saffron water. Whisk until smooth and let it simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Add the milk and bring back to a gentle simmer for a couple of minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Place mussels in serving platter (or serve it out of the pot as I do). Add chopped parsley into the sauce and pour all over the mussels. Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy! Preferably with a glass of chilled crisp white wine 🙂