Merivale Narooma’s head chef, Toby Worthington has created a lot of excitement in town crafting menus at Merivale venues including Queen Chow at The Whale, The Quarterdeck, The Inlet and the newly acquired Lynch’s Hotel.
In 2022, he shared a Quarterdeck’ signature dish, Jervis Bay Mussels in cider broth with a drizzle of aioli and some good bread for dipping.
Ingredients
- Jervis Bay Mussels, 1kg bag
- 25g Italian parsley
- 1 eschalots – sliced
- 3 cloves garlic – chopped finely
- Good loaf of bread – to slice and grill / toast
- 160ml Local cider (around half a bottle)
- 1 1/2 yolks
- 25ml white wine vinegar
- 15g Dijon mustard
- Salt
- Pepper – black
- 150ml vegetable oil
- 50ml good extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
To make the Aioli:
- Add yolks, vinegar & Dijon to a bowl & whisk together.
- Slowly incorporate the vegetable oil in a steady stream with a whisk being careful not to split the mayonnaise.
- Once mayonnaise is made to adequate consistency – add chopped garlic.
- Depending on how intense you want the aioli will determine the amount you use.
- Season with salt, lemon & pepper.
To make the Mussels:
- Heat pot to medium heat.
- Add 15ml olive oil & 15ml vegetable oil follow with the sliced eschalots & a tablespoon of chopped garlic.
- Sauté until fragrant & slightly golden.
- Add mussels – fry for about 30 seconds.
- Add a pinch of salt & the cider.
- Put lid on & simmer for around 4 minutes or until the mussels open, be careful to not overcook the mussels.
- While the mussels are cooking – slice bread.
- Season bread with olive oil & salt – grill or toast it lightly.
- Once the mussels are open pull the pot off the heat & check the liquor, it may need adjusting.
- Add parsley.
To serve:
- Place open mussels in a serving bowl, check the cooking liquor tastes good & pour over – making sure you get out all the eschalots and garlic. Add more parsley over top.
- Drizzle the fresh aioli over all the mussels followed by a splash of olive oil & some cracked black pepper.
- Serve with toasted bread to mop up all the cooking liquor.
South Coast produce is adored among Australia’s chefs and the Narooma Oyster Festival has a great history of bringing the two together, from Colin Fassnidge in 2022 to Julie Goodwin in 2012.
Each year the festival hosts free cooking demonstrations on the Narooma Betta Home Living Cooking Stage and we hope you enjoy recreating this dish for your own table. Remember to support your local growers, oyster farmers and fishermen wherever you can.