Pickled Jervis Bay mussels
Prep time 30 mins
Serves 6 as an appetiser
2
"Our pickled Jervis Bay mussel dish really speaks to the Longshore ethos," says Jarrod Walsh of Sydney's Longshore restaurant. "The mussels are sustainably farmed in the pristine waters of Jervis Bay marine park. The mussel farming practice has zero impact on the environment and being the only farming allowed in a marine park means they have a great meat-to-shell ratio and amazing taste, hence why they are perfect for the menu. At the restaurant, we stuff them with escabeche mayo and dress them in shellfish oil to give them the extra touch. In saying this, the pickled mussels themselves are already so delicious, all you need is a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil and some fresh herbs for a beautiful snack to serve guests."
2-3 tbsp canola oil
1 kg Jervis bay mussels, rinsed, scrubbed
Fennel flowers or another small herb garnish (optional), to serve
PICKLING SOLUTION
2 tbsp canola oil
3 habanero chillis
2 sliced golden shallots
6 sprigs of lemon thyme
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
5 g black peppercorn
5 g fennel seed
5 g coriander seed
320 ml rice wine vinegar
50 g salt
50 g caster sugar
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over high heat until lightly smoking. Gently add mussels to the pan and cover with a lid. Shake the pan for 2 minutes on high. Strain the mussels and cool, then refrigerate until required.
2. Once the mussels are chilled, pull the beards out, take the meat from the shell, and place the meat into a heatproof container. Set meat and shells aside.
3. For pickling solution, heat oil in a clean saucepan and add the habaneros, shallot, thyme, garlic and spices and stir occasionally until aromatic and nicely coloured. Add vinegar, salt and sugar (be careful as it may bubble up), and slowly bring to the boil, then pour over the mussel meat and set aide to cool, then refrigerate until pickled and ready to serve (at least 1 1/2 hours).
4. Meanwhile, separate the mussel shells and clean half and refrigerate for serving. (You can also just serve the mussels in a bowl with cocktail skewers and crusty croutons on the side.) Place one mussel in each shell and serve with a little herb garnish on top, and a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
NOTE The mussels can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe Jarrod Walsh & Photography Jason Loucas
