Mussels, Native Curry, Myrtle Oil and Finger Lime
Tom Tilbury
Shaded by towering old trees and bright blooms, the Botanic Lodge is tucked away in the heart of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. With chef Tom Tilbury at the helm of the kitchen, the menu is a deep dive into Australiaโs backyardโseasonal, nostalgic, and rooted in native ingredients.ย
Their recipe for mussels with native curry will bring a fragrant and fresh punch to the table. Best paired with a bottle of Very Special Riesling, with its signature citrus-driven profile and high acidity, to complement the vibrant notes of lemongrass, cinnamon myrtle, and curry leaf.
MUSSELS, NATIVE CURRY, MYRTLE OIL, AND FINGER LIME
1kg mussels
1tbsp sliced green chilli
2tbsp fried curry leaves
100ml vegetable oil
SALT BUSH PURรE
2 bunches spinach
Equal parts salt bush to spinach
2 bunches coriander
100ml grapeseed oil
5 ice cubes
100g ginger
Green chilli, to taste
Salt, to taste
Sugar, to taste
2tbsp Geraldton wax
2tbsp finger lime
NATIVE CURRY PASTE
300g peeled ginger
300g peeled garlic
500g peeled shallots
10g peeled turmeric
50g wattle seed
20g cinnamon myrtle
20g Dorrigo pepper
2 mountain pepper leaves
20g curry leaves
SALT BUSH PURรE
Blanch spinach and salt bush in heavily salted water until they fall apart between your fingers. Drain and add to the blender. Slowly add the ice and oil while blending on full speed. Add all ingredients for the purรฉe, except for the Geraldton wax.
Blend on high for a further 5 minutes. After blending, stir in Geraldton wax and finger lime. Donโt blend again.
CURRY PASTE
Note: This recipe makes three times more than required for the 1kg of mussels, but it will last for weeks in the fridge when stored in a jar under a layer of vegetable oil.
Blend all the curry paste ingredients together until smooth and even.
TO FINISH
Add vegetable oil to a heavy-based pan and heat over medium heat. Add the curry paste to the frying pan and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove two-thirds of the mixture from the pan and store in the fridge in a jar under a layer of vegetable oil.
Bring the pan up to a high heat. Once the curry paste starts to colour a little and the pan is hot, add the mussels and place the lid on for 2 minutes.
Fry the mussels until theyโre almost all open. Remove the lid and add the mussels to a serving bowl.
Return the pan to the heat and reduce the liquid by half. Once reduced, add 4 tbsp of the finishing paste, stir through, and garnish with curry leaves and slices of chilli.