Mussels ala Cate

Cate whipped this up while we were on a photo trip. Genius!

~3 lbs. muscles and/or clams

1/2 c. flour or corn meal

1-2 beers

butter

garlic, crushed

ginger, crushed
leeks, chopped

shallots, minced

fennel fronds, and fennel bulb sliced thin and chopped

madras curry

cream

basil, chopped

parsley, chopped

1. Clean the mussels and clams. Discard any mussels with cracked shells or ones that don’t close when tapped. Soak in water with the flour for 30 minutes to a couple of hours.
2. Saute shallots, leeks and fennel in butter. Add garlic, ginger, and curry. Simmer until you get all the good smells. 
3. Pour the beer into the pan. When the beer starts to simmer, add the mussels and cover the pot. Let them cook until the shells open up. This usually takes about 5 – 7 minutes. 
4. Before serving, add a touch of cream and sprinkle with chopped basil & parsley.