Lemon Curry Mussels over Linguine

Mussels are one of the more accessible, yet elegant dishes you can prepare in the home. Yes, those unspoken for shellfish at the seafood counter can be intimidating, but trust me, they are simple to prepare and enjoy. Here's my take on mussels highlighting one of my favorite seasonings/techniques; curry! You'll make your own curry paste here that you can use for curry chicken, as well as many other Caribbean and Asian inspired dishes.

I will admit this isn't the quickest dish to prepare, but this isn't for everyday cooking either. Save this for a Saturday night in with your significant other, or a special occasion dinner. Take your time here, especially with developing the gravy and steaming your asparagus. Those two components are very important to the quality of the dish. I always encourage customization, so if mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, or linguine don't quite compel you make the sub! 

Ingredients:
2lbs. mussels
8oz dry linguine
2tbsp curry powder
1/3c sauvignon blanc white wine (any dry white wine works well here)
1/2c chicken stock
1/2 tbsp ginger
2 scallions
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic, plus 1/2tsp
1 chicken bouillon cube
4 sprigs thyme
1tsp black pepper
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional) (VERY HOT)
1 bunch swiss chard
1 1/2c mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 bunch of asparagus
1/2 zucchini (quartered) 
2tbsps lemon juice, plus
2 tsps salt, plus 1/4 tsp
cooking oil (as needed)

Recipe:

1. Clean your mussels with a gentle run of cold water and damp paper towl. Check for any cracked, opened, or damaged mussels. Discard if so. Set them aside.

Mushrooms, Asparagus, Zucchini:

1. For the mushrooms, heat enough oil to coat the bottom of saucepan over medium. Season mushrooms with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper and brown until they just begin to give off moisture. About 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Repeat with the zucchini, gently sautéing until the zucchini are fork tender. Try to avoid browning for the sake of presentation. Remove and set aside.
2. Snap one asparagus stalk until it breaks on its own. Then, cut the remaining stalks the same length. Steam your asparagus in a colander or steamer basket until your fork can pierce the stalks with ease, but still retain their structure. Remove to a bowl of ice water.
3. Use the same steamer for the chard. Before steaming, remove the stems and chop the greens into 1/2 inch thick strips. Wash the greeens under gently running cold water. Steam until tender and bright green. 

Linguine:

1. Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil for pasta. Once the water has reached a rolling boil add a palm full of kosher salt, then add the linguine. Stir to make sure no pasta is sticking together. Boil the pasta until al dente, about 10-12 minutes. Drain, set aside. NOTE: al-dente means cooked through, but still firm. Al-dente pasta does not stick to your teeth when chewing either. 

Curry Paste:

1. In your food processor (blender or fruit ninja), puree your onion, green onion, garlic, thyme, chicken bouillon, black pepper, ginger, and scotch bonnet pepper together for curry paste. Make sure the paste is blended fine. You may need to scrape the sides a few times while blending. Transfer the paste to a small container. This is the same paste needed for curry chicken, braised oxtail and countless other recipes I'll be sharing here so freeze what you don't use.

Mussels and Gravy:

1. In a large pan, heat two tablesoons of oil over medium heat. Add the curry paste, sautéing for 3-5 minutes to quiet some of the strong onion flavor of the curry paste. Then add curry powder, dry white wine, and lemon juice to the pan, stir to combine. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the mixture is approaching a boil.
2. Add mussels to the pan making sure none are overlapping one another. Cover and steam until mussels open up. Remove from heat and transfer mussels to a plate. Discard any mussels that do not open immediately. 
3. Here, you'll need to add 1/2c of chicken stock to your gravy and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and allow the gravy to reduce by about half to develop its body.  You want to look for a sauce that begins to coat the back of your spoon. Personally I enjoy a little sweetness in my curry. If you're like me add 1 teaspoon of honey to bring out more sweetness at this point. 

Assembly:

1. Combine the pasta with your asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, and chard. Fold together and allow your veggies and pasta to heat through. Taste the dish again here and season with kosher salt to taste 
2. Plate your dish. Place mussels over the top of your pasta finished with curry gravy to your desired taste. Garnish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.