Homemade curry, Rivington Grill style

Both outlets of Rivington Grill (Souk Al Bahar and Souk Madinat Jumeirah) have recently launched new menus, with a distinct focus on best of British classic dishes; think hearty Lancashire hotpot, traditional coronation chicken and braised leek and onion pan haggarty. Other dishes that are likely to appeal to homesick British expats include Welsh rarebit, lemon curd doughnuts and the old favourite, fish and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce.

We particularly like the sound of the Brick Lane seafood curry though (pictured above), as it’s a dish that pays homage to a vibrant area of London, with many curry houses. The recipe is below, along with some good advice on cooking shellfish from the Rivington Grill chefs.

Notes on cooking shellfish: When you purchase your mussels and clams, unwrap them immediately so they can breathe. Discard any that are open or chipped, broken or damaged in any way. The mussels and clams should be tightly closed and stored in a cool area where they can breathe.

Just before cooking, soak the mussels and clams in fresh water for 20 minutes. As they breathe, they filter water and expel sand and debris meaning that they will have less salt and sand stored inside their shells.

Most mussels have what is commonly called a "beard," also known as byssal threads. The beard is made of many fibres which emerge from the mussel's shell. To remove the beard, hold the mussel in one hand, cover the other hand with a dry towel and grasp the beard; give it a sharp yank toward the hinge end of the mussel. This method will not kill the mussel. If you were to pull the beard out towards the opening end of the mussel you can tear the mussel and kill it. Discard the byssal threads.

Use a firm brush to brush off any additional sand, barnacles, or other oceanic attachments. Rinse the mussels under cool water and set aside. Dry with a towel before cooking.

Brick Lane seafood curry

Serves: 4

Ingredients

240g clams, cleaned 240g mussels, cleaned 1 kg cod fillet (skin on), cut into 200g pieces 2 tbsp parsley, washed, picked and chopped 2 tbsp coriander, washed, picked and chopped 20g garlic, peeled and finely chopped 1 small red chili, deseeded and finely chopped 20g celery, peeled and finely chopped 20g ginger, peeled and grated 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped 7g curry powder 5g turmeric powder 5 spring onions, washed and finely sliced on the bias (at an angle) 600ml cooking cream 400ml fish stock sea salt and milled black pepper to taste

For the shellfish:

Preheat a pan over medium heat, add a little oil and half the onions. Stir and cook without any colour for 1 minute, before adding the mussels and clams. Toss the mussels and clams around in the onions and oil, coating the shells.

Once the mussels and clams have been coated, add the fish stock. This creates the steam required to open the shells. It will also decrease the overall heat within the pan.

Cover with a lid to finish cooking. Once the mussels are open, remove the mussels and clams from the pan into a bowl with a lid and set aside. Pour the leftover shellfish liquid through a fine sieve and keep to one side.

For the curry sauce:

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the ginger, garlic and the remaining chopped onions and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring well, or until softened and golden-brown. Reduce the heat to low and add the red chilli, curry powder, ground turmeric and celery; stir the mixture thoroughly and fry until the spices are fragrant. At this point, you may need to add splashes of boiling water to the mix to loosen the gravy mixture, stirring at the same time.

Next, add half the reserved cooking liquid from the mussels and clams and bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Add the cream to the mixture, bring back to the boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer and bring to a thick cream consistency. If needed, add more mussel liquid as required.

For the cod:

Heat some oil in a frying pan. Season the cod with salt and freshly ground pepper, then add to the oil and fry, skin-side down, for 2-3 minutes, or until the skin is crisp.

Take the pan off the heat, turn the cod over, and transfer (if needed, your original pan may be oven proof) to an oven proof dish (or pan) and roast in a preheated oven for five minutes or until cooked through.

To serve:

Add the mussels and clams to the curry sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in the parsley and coriander and taste to check the seasoning, correcting with salt and pepper. Pour the mix into a large serving bowl, sprinkle over the spring onions and place the cod on top.

Serve with your favourite type of rice.