This week’s French Friday’s post brings you not only a recipe to curry favor but also is back-loaded with tips, prompts, and fun stuff. This is the Winter of My Wanna Do’s. Admit it, I know you also have your own unwritten want-to-do list. Exercise 3X a week – be healthier. Shoot for the stars – learn constellations. Take more time for friends, a partner or kids. De-clutter – tackle that basement. Read…more. Plan a trip, party or adventure…and do it. You’re shaking your head in agreement, right? Later.
Curried mussels, french fries with a crusty baguette makes for a delicious dinner.
First, let’s talk about Curried Mussels, today’s French Fridays recipe. Yum. Catering to the American palate, this is a lighter knock off of Brittany’s classic Mouclade, mussels in a thick curried egg yolk and cream sauce. I’ve now tasted both, there’s little difference in flavor and goodness. Thanks for cutting the calories, Dorie.
As you’ll notice in the recipe below, curry powder, red pepper flakes and heavy cream define this dish. Onions and shallots, glistening and softened in butter, add the oomph in the mixture. White wine, S/P and fresh herbs help provide a saucy home for the mussels. French fries and a crusty baguette, it’s supper. Your only challenge is to eat, dunk and enjoy this meal without utensils. It’s messy but that’s the rule. (Use one-half of a mussel shell for your spoon.) Let imagination reign. Sandy beach. Côte d’Azur.
Curried Mussels, our French Fridays with Dorie recipe of the week.
One of my Wanna/Gonna Do’s this winter is to deal better with leftover food. I’ve been pulling a low C grade in that department. Not only is food costly but wasting it seems sinful. At least 800 million people in the world go hungry every day. In America, 14.5%, that’s 1 in 6 or 7 Americans, are “food insecure.” As someone whose always had a full belly, I don’t know what “food insecure” feels like. Do you?
Just doesn’t seem right to call this a leftover – Curried Mussels Linguine with red peppers.
Although I’ve learned to halve and even one-third my recipes, I still have leavings (love that word). When I do, I will show you how I incorporated those into future meals. With the leftover Curried Mussels, I made pasta, a no-brainer. While boiling the linguine, sauté red pepper slices and chopped celery in butter until softened. To that add the mussels and remaining curry sauce. Heat gently. (Do not bring the mussels to a boil unless you prefer them rubbery.) Drain the linguine. Mix together and serve.
From Simplest Breton Fish Stew emerged a frittata.
Last week I blogged about Simplest Breton Fish Soup. With its leftovers, I made a frittata for breakfast and for lunch and for snacks! After removing the mussels use a slotted spoon to put the remaining mixture sans its broth into a saucepan to warm. Adding it to eggs seasoned with salt and pepper creates a delicious frittata or omelet. For breakfast, I added salsa. For lunch, I poured the remaining vinaigrette over it.
Yep, zebras.
There’s something about openly declaring intentions that insists on follow through. So, keep me honest, Readers, with this leftovers Wanna-Do pledge. As for others, I’m already good in the exercise department, have wheedled down my belongings to nil, read constantly and get high marks for communicating with friends, colleagues and family. But here are the Wanna-Dos that I’m turning into Am-Doing this month.
I worry. A lot. Which causes stress. A lot. Many of my worries never materialize or happen. So when a worry crops up in my over-imaginative mind, I now park it, write it down and forget it……until Wednesday at 3pm. Then every Wednesday I revisit my worries at 3pm. What I’ve discovered is some were already solved easily, didn’t and won’t happen or are just plain silly. The two or three remaining on my list, I try to solve. Call me crazy, Readers, but it’s working.
These zebras live and lounge on the Hearst Ranch in San Simeon. I’m thinking they have no worries.
Lastly, if you’ve got an hour to spare for fun, start watching episodes of Borgen, a BBC three-seasons series that explores the world of high-stakes Danish politics. Better than West Wing and available on Netflix, at your library or by streaming.
French Fridays with Dorie is an international online group cooking it’s way through Around My French Table. To see what my colleagues, who probably worry too, made this week, go here.
CURRIED MUSSELS by Dorie Greenspan
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
a pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and ground pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 thyme spring
1 parsley sprig
1 bay leaf
4 pounds mussels,scrubbed (more than ample, Readers)
2/3 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven at low heat. Toss in the onions and shallots, stirring them to coat with butter until glistening, about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle curry powder, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper over the mixture. Cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add wine, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer for 3 more minutes.
2. Add the mussels to the pot, and stir around in the liquid, coating the mussels. Increase the heat to high, bringing the liquid to a boil. Cover with lid. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring once. Take a peek and see if the mussels have opened. If there are still some to open, remove the pot from heat (keeping lid on), let sit for 1-2 more minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mussels from the broth and place in a bowl. Cover the bowl to keep mussels warm. Bring the sauce back to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream, add a little more salt and pepper, if needed. Cook on high heat for another 3 minutes. Return the mussels to the pot, stirring around to coat them in the wonderful creamy sauce. Serve immediately.
I used to love,love,love mussels. Until I accidentally ate a partially open (read that as hard to open because it was almost closed) mussel and had the worst case of food poisoning imaginable. Hubby Jim and I were sharing a bowl at our favorite gourmet restaurant, chatting away not even paying attention and 3 hours later I was rather hoping to die before I vomited up my lung! Note to readers: DO NOT EAT MUSSELS THAT ARE EVEN MOSTLY CLOSED.
Readers, Mary Fuscaldo is a good friend and talented artist who I’ve known since childhood. We have history and stories. It’s only because of our longtime friendship and because her warning is an important one that I will let a comment about ” vomiting” be posted on my blog. Thank you, Mary, for good advice.
Love the pictures of mussels which look fresh enough for me to smell their lovely sauce…the only thing u shud be worried about is your glorious fresh supply of fish, veggies and wine disappearing!
LOL. You’re right. Except for Wednesday from 3pm to 4pm.
I made last week’s recipe instead—but I heeded Mary’s warning and didn’t pry open any mussels that were found only partially open in my soup. I’ve never had food poisoning and I hope it remains that way! I love your worry time—what a great tip to jot them down and forget till then.
Love that you added French Fries to the mussels – that would have been so goo! I also am in awe of your innovative use of leftovers. Me, I just ate mussels 3 meals in a row. Have a great weekend Mary.
I hear you, Gaye. It’s difficult to change old habits especially if you’re a busy professional (think lawyer) which I am not!
I commend you on using your leftovers. Can you say that in French next time.
I also do Fritattas with left over anything and as a result I rarely throw away any food.
Then of course there are the puppies who help….yeah, I have a feeding disorder.
The Wednesday afternoon thing is cool. I have long been in favor of procrastination largely because the world could come to an end before you really have to deal with a problem or in your case the problem miraculously goes away on its own.
Hugs, TTR
I can write down anything in French, Donna. It’s speaking it that just hasn’t happened for me as you know. %#&@%
Whatever keeps the worries at bay is good. For me, it’s Wednesday at 3pm. For you, it’s the end of the world. I prefer week-to-week but absolutely always look forward to your comments.
Go, Mary, go! Commendable winter resolutions. We are also at continual war with the food waste, but for us it’s usually in different forms. We rarely cook during the week and therefore whatever we make on the weekend generally gets eaten on Monday and Tuesday. My biggest foe is stuff like bread and milk and the other half of whatever vegetable didn’t even make it into the dish that I made on the weekend. Which means that Wednesdays and Thursdays are usually spent eating tartines or eggs with whatever fresh veggies we had left over. If I really have a ton of something I’ll google it to find a recipe to use it up, but mostly it’s tartines and eggs. Friday we go out to eat, and then the cycle repeats itself on the weekend.
I’m starting to plug in “leftover this and that” to Google and it’s surprising how many ideas pop up. From those suggestions I can improvise. I feel your pain.
I am anxious by nature too Mary so I totally “get” your need to “park” your thoughts. I need to do that more. Also: LOVE LOVE LOVE Borgen (also, The Killing if you haven’t seen it yet). Mussels? Not so much.
Okay, going to find The Killing. If it’s a suggestion from you, I know I will like it. Glad to realize that I have a fellow real, real worrier among the Doristas.
Mary, there are so many things I want to respond to in this post, I don’t know where to start! First, a few colleagues mentioned Borgen to me a couple years ago and I’ve yet to check it out! Thanks for the heads up on it. For worrying, tHANK YOU. I’m such a worrier–my mother is as well–and sometimes I need another technique to shed that stressor. Finally, I wish I’d had your leftover idea earlier! I’d just dumped the rest of the mussels in the trash about 5 minutes before you posted this on FB. 🙁 I hate wasting food as well and it was a bummer to not have eaten the rest of them. That said, you inspired me to make sure I used up the rest of my spice-crusted tuna so thanks for that as well! Great read and I totally identify with the wanna-do’s. Who doesn’t?!?
Thanks, Katie. We’re in this together, it seems.
I love your resolutions. They sound a lot like mine. I am horrified too by food waste. I read that American’s throw away 40% of what they buy… I say stop going to Costco… too much, too big, and even if it’s discounted if you don’t eat it; it’s a waste. I love the pasta dish you made. I will remember that when we actually have leftovers.
40% is right – I just thot that was too devastating a percentage to add to what-was-supposed-to-be an upbeat Post. I’ve had to stop going to Costco also. Just no need for me to buy that much food. I love catchup, pour it on everything, but I have enough backup to last me ’til death.
It is so difficult to cut back after cooking for a family, especially an Italian family, Jim thinks there is never enough. I am at the point where I can divide just about anything not to have leftovers. As for the to do list of de-cluttering, at my age, 60 years worth of (crap) ain’t easy. The kids don’t want it, and I am too old for garage sales. The mussels look wonderful as well as the zebras.
You get the award for most creative use of leftovers! Love how you transformed both of these dishes.
Happy New Year! I hope we get to catch up while you are sort of in my neck of the woods this year – Thanks for all your prayers, so appreciated!
I am glad things are better, Christy. Yes, we need to make it happen. My people need to talk to your people!
I get it, Ro. Michael never thought there was enough food on the table nor food in the house. Old habits die hard. As for the de-cluttering, I was forced to do it as you know. Yeah, the kids are not all that enthralled with our precious objects, are they?
Great post, Mary! I commend you for turning your “wanna-dos” into “am-doings”. I am not a worrier, but I really like your solution for dealing with it. It makes a lot of sense. My struggle, as you know, is clutter. Not making much progress, but I think about it every day. My new thought (no action yet), is to do one drawer or pile a day or something small like that. Eventually I’ll see progress, right? I’ll have to check out Borgen. I haven’t heard of it but love all things Scandinavian. Hope you are settling into your winter routine. xox
Mary,
My main problem is not ‘leavings’ – cooking for two – I learned to half or divide into thirds for recipes… its the package of this and container of that of ingredients that are languishing in my fridge and freezer that are giving me a headache (cos I tend to forget about them!).
I am sure I am not the first person to say this: Mary – go write a novel! You have all the stuff in you to make a great writer! Have a great and fabulous 2015!!
Dear Mary, I will start with the series “Borgen” instead of the food – now this is a series that was popular around here but I found it rather boring after watching a few episodes (sorry) – these series tend to loose so much with the translation from Danish to German. There are a lot of much better series such as (mentioned above) The Killing, but if you watch this one, try to watch the Danish original series, not the American version…trust me on this one…even with the translation, it took my breath away,,,
Your Curried Mussels with Fries look like a dream and your ideas for left-overs are simply amazing. I never have that many left-overs but over the years I have learned to better portion the foods that I prepare – the taste testers were totally thrilled with this recipe (white wine and all)…and the fries…I already ordered more mussels for next Saturday.
The girls are saying “Hello” as they are sitting next to me watching the wonderful “Aristocats”.
Liebe Grüsse and have a great (worry free) weekend,
Andrea
Hi Mary! Your mussels are very photogenic:) A very nice picture indeed! I like the way you are dealing with worry. I am going to do that for the rest of January and February and see if it helps me. I’m something of a medium worrier, more than I’d like but not so much as my Mother! When I used to point out reasons why she shouldn’t worry about something she liked to ask me why I was trying to deprive her of her worries. They were hers and she thought I should stay out of it. Even if it was about me. Especially if it was about me. Managing our food better is something I am working on. I agree with you about food insecurity and I have known someone who experienced that and I DON’T feel good when I’m wasteful! Gary read the comment you left on my blog and he thinks we should plan on the Morro Bay Bird Festival next year:) The idea of 90 different species in one day, a long one I grant you, is very intriguing! Take care Mary and I’m glad you enjoyed my post.
Good morning Mary, I just read your blog on mussels and already my mouth is watering and longing to taste this dish. This year should prove to be an eventful one for me, I will throw in the mix trying out some of your recipes. I have left the sunshine and blue skies of the central coast this morning and am now in a fog (literally), tule fog they call it in the San Joaquin Valley. A plus tard, Sylvia
I love leftovers! My motto cook once, eat twice. It really helps on my work days. I love what you turned your leftovers into. I am inspired to make this dish with shrimp. Have a great worry free week:)
You know, I had imagined that this delicious sauce would be good with pasta, and you have proven that it is! Great way to use your leftovers.
As we are getting to sell my “Independence House” and move into a “Adult House”, purging belongings is A THING happening here right now.
Your inner researcher shines like a beacon in this post – love it!
XO
Christy just forwarded your post and it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn’t seen it lately. Must have fallen off the list somehow. So happy to be back on the blog list, and hoping to see the osprey’s this summer! And to try the Maid-rites.
Lynn
I’m checking to be sure you are still on my list but quite sure you are. I just haven’t posted but only once since mid-February. Your daughter is such a nice and kind young woman (besides being talented and an athletic powerhouse. I like knowing her.