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Servings:

Smoky West Coast Mussel Potjie

A summer holiday favorite, a mussel potjie cooked over the coals is a quintessentially West Coast dish. The addition of Eskort shoulder bacon, woody thyme, and local whiskey lends a deliciously robust angle to this classic recipe, adding depth and flavor to the popular combination of cream, garlic, and lemon.

Total Time

45min

5.0

1 Rating

Author: East After Noon

Servings:

Ingredients

•

4.4 lb

Fresh Mussels , washed

•

2 Tbsp

Olive Oil

•

7 oz

Shoulder Bacon , diced

•

Leeks , washed, finely sliced

•

4 sprigs

Fresh Thyme

•

3 cloves

Garlic , chopped

•

1 cup

Fresh Cream

•

1 2/3 Tbsp

Whiskey

or Brandy

•

Lemon

•

to taste

Coarse Sea Salt

•

to taste

Ground Black Pepper

Roosterkoek

•

4 cups

All-Purpose Flour

•

2 tsp

Instant Dry Yeast

•

1 1/4 cups

Lukewarm Water

•

2 tsp

Fine Salt

•

1 1/3 Tbsp

Olive Oil

Cooking Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the All-Purpose Flour (4 cups) , Instant Dry Yeast (2 tsp) , and Fine Salt (2 tsp) . Make a well in the center and pour in the Water (1 1/4 cups) .

Using hands, mix the water into the flour until it forms a dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.

Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with a cloth for about 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Knock the dough down and divide it into fist-sized balls.

Grease a hinged grid and braai with Olive Oil (1 1/3 Tbsp) . Place the balls on top over medium coals, turning often, until the roosterkoek is cooked through. Keep warm until needed.

Place the casserole dish over medium coals and add a glug of Olive Oil (2 Tbsp) . Crisp up the Shoulder Bacon (7 oz) before adding the Leeks (2) and Garlic (3 cloves) and sautéing until soft.

Strip the Fresh Thyme (4 sprigs) from the woody stalks and add them to the potjie. Simmer the mixture for another 1 minute then deglaze the dish with the Whiskey (1 2/3 Tbsp) .

Reduce the mixture by half and then add the Fresh Cream (1 cup) . Season with Coarse Sea Salt (to taste) and Ground Black Pepper (to taste) , going easy on the salt.

Once the sauce has thickened, add in the Fresh Mussels (4.4 lb) (their liquid will loosen up the sauce again.) Cover the dish with its lid and steam for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened, and work the shell wider with the tip of a butter knife.

Stir the mussels through the sauce and divide between four warmed bowls. Serve immediately with a squeeze of Lemon Wedge (1) on the top and the warm roosterkoek to mop up the sauce.

Nutrition Per Serving

CALORIES

1379

FAT

49.6 g

PROTEIN

95.8 g

CARBS

125.5 g