Name: Mussel curry with pineapple and potato rösti
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 170 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 kg black mussels, scrubbed and debearded; 100 ml curry paste (see note); 300 gm pineapple (about ½ pineapple), core removed, cut into rough 1cm pieces; ⅓ lemongrass stalk, thinly sliced; 2 makrut lime leaves; 100 gm tamarind purée; 1 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste; 3 tsp caster sugar, or to taste; 1½ tbsp lime juice; Coriander, Thai basil and sliced red chilli, to serve; Curry paste; 30 gm dried long red chillies, cut into 1cm lengths; 50 gm ginger, coarsely chopped; 30 gm galangal, coarsely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 3 makrut lime leaves, shredded; ⅓ lemongrass stalk, tougher outer layers removed, coarsely chopped; Potato rösti; 400 gm Desiree potatoes, peeled, coarsely grated; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1 tsp plain flour; ¼ tsp baking powder; ½ small onion, finely chopped; ½ tsp caster sugar; 50 gm unsalted butter

Curry spooned over a crisp potato rösti? You’ll wish you’d known about this recipe from Ursula’s Phil Wood years ago. The homemade chilli paste provides an intense depth of flavour, but is balanced beautifully by the mussels and sweet pineapple. This is a must-try if you’d like to challenge yourself and impress your friends and family.

Ingredients

1 kg black mussels, scrubbed and debearded

100 ml curry paste (see note)

300 gm pineapple (about ½ pineapple), core removed, cut into rough 1cm pieces

⅓ lemongrass stalk, thinly sliced

2 makrut lime leaves

100 gm tamarind purée

1 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste

3 tsp caster sugar, or to taste

1½ tbsp lime juice

Coriander, Thai basil and sliced red chilli, to serve

Curry paste

30 gm dried long red chillies, cut into 1cm lengths

50 gm ginger, coarsely chopped

30 gm galangal, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 makrut lime leaves, shredded

⅓ lemongrass stalk, tougher outer layers removed, coarsely chopped

Potato rösti

400 gm Desiree potatoes, peeled, coarsely grated

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp plain flour

¼ tsp baking powder

½ small onion, finely chopped

½ tsp caster sugar

50 gm unsalted butter

Method

1.For curry paste, place dried chillies in a bowl and cover with 300ml room-temperature water; stand overnight. Drain and reserve chilli water and rehydrated chillies in separate bowls.

2.Preheat oven to 180˚C. Place unpeeled shallots on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Roast, turning occasionally, until lightly golden (30-35 minutes). Remove skins and transfer shallots to a large mortar and pestle, with remaining paste ingredients and Soaked chillies, and pound to a paste; set aside.

3.For potato rösti, place potato in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. Combine potato in a large bowl with remaining ingredients except butter; season to taste. Divide mixture into four; press into a 10cm ring mould then carefully remove. Heat butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat; cook rösti until golden brown (5 minutes each side), using a spoon to maintain the shape. Transfer to paper towel to drain and season to taste.

4.Place mussels in a large heavy-based saucepan with a lid over high heat. Cook mussels until they just open (2-5 minutes). Discard any unopened mussels. Strain liquid through a fine sieve and reserve 12 mussels in shells. Remove remaining mussels from shell, discarding shells.

5.For curry, heat a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Add 200ml reserved mussel cooking liquid and chilli soaking liquid, and bring to the boil. Stir in paste, pineapple, lemongrass, lime leaves and tamarind, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer until flavours infuse (10-15 minutes); stir in mussel meat and mussels with fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Taste the curry: it should have a balance of sweet, sour and salty; adjust as desired.

6.To serve, divide potato rösti among bowls and spoon over mussel curry. Scatter with coriander, Thai basil and chilli.