Saltbox Seafood’s Ricky Moore shares his recipe for ‘ultimate’ one-pot meal of mussels

Chef Ricky Moore’s Saltbox Seafood Joint does more than just celebrate good seafood.

Moore is all about paying tribute to the North Carolina coast and introducing diners to lesser-known catches.

Every day, the menu at his Durham restaurant is written on a chalkboard based on what comes in from the coast.

Here, he shares a recipe for North Carolina mussels braised in spiced coconut-cider broth, dried persimmon & roasted pecans. More recipes can be found in his 2019 cookbook, “Saltbox Seafood Joint Cookbook,” published by UNC Press.

“I love me some mussels,” Moore writes. “I adore them even more because they are from our coast. In the category of shareable dishes, mussels are inexpensive, elegant and easy to prepare and the ultimate one-pot meal.”

NC mussels braised in spiced coconut-cider broth

2 tablespoons coconut or safflower oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, chopped

1/2 to 1 small hot chile (like Thai bird, Serrano, Scotch bonnet or jalapeño), seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped

1/2 cup cider (Moore recommends North Carolina’s James Creek cider)

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

3 tablespoons persimmons, dried, small diced

2 pounds fresh mussels, de-bearded, washed, rinse well

1/2 cup of cooked turmeric-spiced middlins, or broken rice (Moore recommends Tidewater Grain rice. See recipe below)

1/4 cup Granny Smith apples, peeled and small diced

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted

1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup pecans, roasted and chopped

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot until hot. Add the onions, garlic, celery, ginger, chile and capers. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the wine, coconut milk, persimmons and mussels. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the mussels have opened, 5 to 7 minutes (discard any mussels that remained closed). Remove from heat, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a large bowl, leaving the liquid in the pot.

Stir in cooked rice, apples, butter, lemon juice, and parsley into the pot. Taste and add more salt and pepper and/or lemon juice if needed.

Put the mussels in two wide, shallow bowls. Ladle the broth over them and sprinkle with pecans and parsley.

To make turmeric-spiced middlins: In a medium pot, bring water to a rolling boil. Add a teaspoon of ground turmeric and a pinch of salt. Add the middlins and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked. (The texture should be similar to cooked couscous).

Strain liquid and spread middlins on a plate, drizzle with olive oil. Combine to ensure the middlins are completely coated with the olive oil and set aside to cool.

Servings: 3 to 4

This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Saltbox Seafood’s Ricky Moore shares his recipe for ‘ultimate’ one-pot meal of mussels."

Drew Jackson

The News & Observer

919-829-4707

Drew Jackson writes about restaurants and dining for The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun, covering the food scene in the Triangle and North Carolina.