There are magical things that can happen on a boat. I know this because I spent five days on one this summer, navigating the Mayenne in the Loire valley. How to describe the feeling? It’s like you fall off the face of the planet because you completely forget that there is life on terra firma, while simultaneous thinking that everything is possible on your nautical kingdom. In consequence to this state of mind, it is likely that you will encourage the possibilities for inventive thinking. This is what happened on our peniche with mussels.
Here is a recipe for Moules Mayenne, concocted with the only spice we had on board, and a purchase that we didn’t necessarily intend to use for something savoury, and a can of vegetable that destined for a salad.
Serves 2 and can easily be double, tripled, as long as you have a big enough pot!
- 1 kg of mussels (Buchot if possible)
- 1 tbsp of sunflower oil
- 3 shallots sliced
- 3 tbsp of Curry Corsaire (Olivier Roellinger) or your favourite curry mix
- 1 tomato finely diced
- ½ cup of corn niblets
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- A sprinkle of tarragon
Scrub and de-beard the mussels
Over medium-high flame, heat oil in a deep casserole or saucepot (like Le Creuset) with a lid. When hot, add the shallots and sauté until translucent. Add curry powder and stir to toast lightly. Add the tomato and the corn and heat through.
When the onion, tomato, corn mix is hot, add the white wine and let the alcohol burn off for 30 seconds, then immediately add the mussels, stir briefly and cover. Lower the heat to medium-low. Let the mussels cook. You will know they are ready when they are all open.
Once the mussels are cooked, remove the lid and add the coconut milk. Stir well and let the sauce come to a simmer before removing from the heat.
Serve the mussels with a sprinkle of tarragon and loads of naan bread to sop up the sauce.
And if you really want to be authentic, enjoy these on a 9 meter péniche, with a bottle of Chablis from Dauvissat and your loved one. We also personally recommend eating them on deck so as to discard the shells by throwing them behind you into the river.