This recipe for tasty battered mussels with skordalia dipping sauce comes from Auckland Turkish restaurant, Lokanta. Ray McVinnie meets the hospitality veterans behind the restaurant here.
Skordalia
| 1 cup | Breadcrumbs, coarse, made from yesterday's bread (Main) |
| 1 cup | Almonds (Main) |
| 3 cloves | Garlic, large |
| 1 dash | Extra virgin olive oil |
| ½ cup | Natural yoghurt |
Batter
| 1 ½ cups | Flour |
| 1 tsp | Salt |
| ½ tsp | Paprika |
| 1 | Egg |
| 1 bottle | Beer, enough to give batter a pouring-custard consistency (Main) |
Mussels
| 30 | Mussels (Main) |
| ½ cup | White wine |
| 1 handful | Parsley stalks |
| 4 | Black peppercorns |
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Directions
- To make the skordalia, process the breadcrumbs, almonds and garlic in a food processor for 20 seconds, then with motor running add oil in a thin stream until the mixture clumps together. Add the yoghurt and enough cold water to bring the mixture to a dipping consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a covered in bowl in the fridge. If it thickens up just add a little more water.
- To make the batter, mix flour, salt, paprika and egg in a bowl. Make a well and whisk in enough beer to get the consistency of pouring custard. Leave in fridge for 15 minutes while you do the mussels.
- In large saucepan on high heat cook the mussels in the wine with the parsley stalks and peppercorns, shaking the pan at times until mussels open. Let cool and remove from shells, laying mussels on kitchen paper to dry. (Use any leftover cooking liquid for your next risotto or soup, discarding peppercorns and stalks.)
- Dip mussels into batter, shake off excess and shallow fry in batches.
- Skewer on toothpicks and serve immediately to your guests as you cook, with lemon wedges and skordalia.
