Saldana Bay Mussels With Garlic and Parsley

Courtesy of Chef Christo Pretorius, 2014 WWF-SASSI Trailblazer Chef

Ingredients

Steamed mussels

  • 1kg Mussels, fresh & cleaned
  • 500ml White Wine
  • 1 Head of Garlic, cut in half Lemongrass
  • 5 pieces of Star Anise
  • 1 piece of Ginger, sliced
  • Chillies
  • 1 piece of Fennel, chopped
  • 10g Peppercorns
  • 10g Fenugreck
  • 10g Fennel Seeds
  • 5 Bay Leaves

 

Mussel filling for pot sticker

  • 60 ml Canola Oil
  • 100g Onion, brunoise
  • 1 Garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 Green Chilli, diced, chopped
  • 10g Ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 10g cured Lemon peel, chopped
  • 100g Carrots, small brunois
  • 100g Potatoes, precooked, peeled, brunoise
  • 200g Mussel meat, chopped
  • 20g Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
  • 209 Chives, chopped
  • 60ml Fresh Cream
  • 10 Salt Flakes
  • 10g Black Pepper, crushed

 

Pot sticker dough and filling

  • 250ml Flour
  • 125ml Boiling Water
  • 200 Mussels, chopped
  • 59 Khoisan Salt
  • 39 Black Pepper
  • 100ml Beef Jus

 

Mushi sauce

  • 200g White Sugar
  • 500ml Water
  • 100ml Fish Sauce
  • 20g Garlic, chopped
  • 20g Red Chillies, diced and chopped
  • 30ml Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 10g Salt Flakes

 

Parsley dressing

  • 100g Parsicy, chopped
  • 40g Caster Sugar
  • 15ml Dijon Mustard
  • 100ml Mussel liquid from cooked mussels
  • 100ml Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 50ml Lemon Juice
  • 125ml Canola Oil

 

Red wine pickling liquid

  • 300ml Verjus
  • 100ml Water
  • 250m/ Red Wine
  • 125ml Red Wine Vinegar
  • 10g Lemongrass
  • 10g Ginger
  • 10g Garlic
  • 2 Limes, zest and juice
  • 30ml Castor Sugar
  • 39 Salt

 

Sweet and sour red onion shells

  • 600g Baby Onions, peeled and cut in half and shelled Red Wine Pickling Liquid
  • 59 Khoisan Salt
  • 29 White Pepper
  • 1 Vacuum Bag (medium)

 

Mussel consomme

  • 250g Mussel shells
  • 250m/ Mussel liquid from steaming
  • 15ml Canola Oil
  • 50g Onion, branoise
  • 50g Lecks, brunoise
  • 50g Celery, brunoise
  • 50g Fennel Steams
  • 10g whole Garlic
  • 10g Lemongrass
  • 10g fresh Ginger
  • 1 fresh Chilli
  • 60mm/ Sake Wine
  • 60ml Mirin Vinegar
  • 60ml Soya Sauce
  • 2L Water

method

For the Steamed mussels

  1. Clean the mussels under running water and discard any mussels that are open.
  2. Add all ingredients to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Allow to boll for 10 minutes to Intensify the flavour.
  3. Pour the mussels into a colander, checking that they have all opened as you do so. Remove the mussels from the shells carefully to ensure they remain intact.
  4. Keep the liquid for the consomme.

 

For the mussel filling for pot sticker

  1. Sauté the onions, garlic, chillies, ginger and lemon peel until soft and caramelised. Always season as you go.
  2. Add the carrots and precooked potatoes to the onion mixture and season again.
  3. Add the mussel meat, herbs and cream ana reduce slightly until everything comes together.

 

For the pot sticker dough and filling

  1. Make the dough by mixing the flour with the hot water and mix until a dough is formed.
  2. Knead the dough for roughly 5 minutes, until smooth.
  3. Roll the dough through a pasta machine to number 4 and cat into circles with a cookie cutter.
  4. For the filling, use the filling made above or, for a simplified version, mix the shredded mussel meat with the jus, herbs and check for seasoning.
  5. Place the filling in the middle of the circle of pastry and fold like you are making a tortellini but pinch the edges to make it look like a pot sticker.
  6. Blanche the pot sticker in salted, boiling water and refresh in ice water.
  7. Pan fry until golden brown when ready to serve.

 

For the mushi sauce

  1. In a sauce pot, add all the ingredients together and bring to the boll.
  2. Once it has started to boil, remove from the stove and set aside to cool.
  3. As soon as the liquid is cool, blend with a handheld blender or in a blender machine.

 

For the parsley dressing

  1. Chop the parsley and add to the blender.
  2. Add the sugar, mustard, dashi, rice wine vinegar and lemon juice and blend for s minutes.
  3. Add the oil and blend on a slower speed for another 5 minutes.
  4. Transfer to a clean squeeze bottle to add when plating your meal.

 

For the red wine pickling liquid

  1. Add all ingredients to a small pot and bring to a boil. Let the ingredients infuse into the pickling liquid for 30 minutes.
  2. Set aside to cool.
  3. Put the pickled product into a jar and pour the pickling liquid over it.
  4. Set aside to infuse.

 

Sweet and sour red onion shells

  1. Place the onion shells in the Vacuum Bag with Warm Pickling Liquid, compress and seal.
  2. Keep it in vacuum bag until ready to serve.

 

For mussel consomme

  1. Heat the oil in a medium pot on a medium heat.
  2. Add all the vegetables with half of the wine and reduce.
  3. Add the soya sauce, mirin and Asian aromatics then cover with water and let it cook for an hou Strain through a double layer of cheese cloth to get a clear consumme.
  4. Add the steamed mussels and serve.