Being a WWF-SASSI ambassador and forager, I love the ocean and cooking with the fresh ingredients found on my doorstep in Grotto Bay. My kelp mussels is one of the signature dishes that started my career with the Ultimate Braai Master back in 2014. I have a few mussel recipes, but nothing beats this or tastes as true to the ocean as this one. It’s the greatest WWF-SASSI recipe ever!
Give it a go and surprise your friends and family with a funny piece of kelp that is burning and crackling on the coals.
The best way to serve this is to put the kelp on a big wooden board with nice sea grass and samphire to garnish. When everyone is seated, cut it open straight through the middle and a cloud of steam will fill the room with the most incredible smell that will have everyone drooling.
SERVES 4-6 COOKING TIME 50 mins
INGREDIENTS
Freshly cut kelp head, foraged, leaves removed
1 kg mussels, cleaned
2 lemons, quartered
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Handful coriander, chopped
Red chilli, seeded and chopped, to serve
METHOD
1. Light your coals.
2. Push 8 mussels into the kelp stem opening, followed by a lemon quarter and ½ garlic clove. Repeat until the kelp is full or until you run out of mussels.
3. Make a plug with a piece of tinfoil and push it into the opening to lock in the flavour and moisture.
4. Place directly onto hot coals and cook for 15 minutes on each side.
5. Cut open the kelp along its length and sprinkle mussels with the coriander and serve with fresh chilli.
WWF-SASSI MAKING BEING A RESPONSIBLE SEAFOOD CONSUMER EASY
The World Wide Fund for Nature – SA’s (WWF-SA) Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) is helping consumers make environmentally responsible seafood choices through the development of the SASSI “traffic light” reference guide. The lists give consumers the status of different types of seafood. Species listed on the Green list are the best choices from the most resilient and well-managed fish populations. Species on the Orange list should be considered with caution as they are either over-exploited, or the fishing or farming method poses harm to the environment. Red species should be completely avoided as these species are of serious conservation concern, while some of them are specially protected and illegal to sell. Some species occur on more than one list depending on the different fishing methods used – Keep an eye out for these!
The lists are available as wallet size pocket guide or send a text message to our ‘FishMS’ number 0794998795 to check the status of the seafood. Better still download the free SASSI app to always be updated on what is on our Green-list!
You have a choice. Make it Green.
