In the Caribbean island chain of the Grenadines, Bequia has a particular magic about it.
Difficult to get to and wonderfully lacking in tourist-focused infrastructure such as hotels and shops, it has all the charisma of old Jamaica, with people selling bananas, ripe mangos and coconuts along the roadside and reggae music thrumming from the beachside restaurants. The vibrancy of nature here is felt no more so than in the food. Most places offer no menu; instead, there’s the catch of the day, marinated the jerk way and grilled over an open fire. Then there’s the crispy chicken, fresh lobster, sticky rice, zesty salads and a few bottles of the local Hairoun beer.
A large chunk of our recipe inspiration comes from our travels: we always arrive home buzzing with ideas and excitement. Everywhere has its own distinct charm, from the people to the art, architecture, music and, most of all, food. After our trip to Bequia, we took the flavours, the beats and the heat, combined with a crisp, strong beer, to bring the beautiful beaches and the soul of the island into our smaller, less vibrant London kitchen.
This is an intensely flavoursome dish that perfectly suits mussels, which can take on more robust tastes than other shellfish. If you like, you can also make a coconut and coriander chutney to go with this, by whizzing together coriander leaves with fresh coconut, plenty of lime and a pinch of ground cumin. Serve with fries, a lime-spiked mayonnaise, a big rocket salad and, naturally, an ice-cold beer.
Ingredients
1 tbsp groundnut oil
3 shallots, sliced
1 carrot, finely diced
A medium bunch of coriander, leaves picked and stalks finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
A small bunch of thyme, roughly chopped
1 inch of ginger, minced
2 bay leaves
1 Scotch bonnet, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp jerk spice mix
1 tsp allspice
1 tbsp tomato puree
330ml (one standard-sized bottle) of a beer of your choice
1 tin of coconut milk
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 orange, zested
1kg mussels, cleaned and rested in cold water
1 lime
Recipe
Heat a glug of groundnut oil in a wok or large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and carrot and stir until translucent, then add the coriander stalks, garlic, thyme, ginger and bay leaves.
Stir for a few minutes, then add the Scotch bonnet and spices.
Stir for a few more minutes, then add the tomato puree, beer, coconut milk, honey, soy sauce and orange zest.
Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Now add the mussels, turn up the heat and place the lid on the pan until the shells open.
Dress with a squeeze of lime and scattered coriander leaves.
