This sundae combines two of my longtime beloved research subjects: tinned fish and ice cream. Vanilla bean ice cream is topped with a creamy smoked mussel fudge, passion fruit gel, ginger cracker toffee, and fried curry leaves. This sundae is unmistakably marine tasting, I did not want to obscure or hold back on the mussel flavor. The key to making it work was finding complementary flavors to enhance the natural sweetness and creaminess in mussels while taming undesirable fishiness.
Patagonia Provisions presented me with a challenge to combine their tinned smoked mussels, sourdough crackers, and Straus Family Creamery ice cream at a pop-up held in Brooklyn, NY in August 2026. I relied on a few key flavor combinations to take the smoked mussels from savory flavor associations to sweet ones:
- Vanilla bean and shellfish: A fine-dining pairing I see if most often as a vanilla cream sauce or butter sauce paired with lobster or scallops. Vanilla’s complexity and dessert associations lift the natural sweetness in shellfish. Vanilla can also have this tobacco and raisin-y quality that complements the smokiness of the mussels I selected.
- Curry and mussels: Curry leaf has an intense citrusy, earthy, and slightly herbal flavor that works well with the brininess of mussels. The curry and mussels also pair well with cream. Frying the curry leaves adds another layer of dimension as a light, crispy texture contrast.
- Caramel and passion fruit: Caramel has a bitter, toasty edge to balance the acidic, tropical flavors of passion fruit. This pairing is found in lots of sweet applications. Passion fruit and vanilla pair fantastically well, as does passion fruit and cream. Salted caramel is another popular association that bridges the passion fruit with the mussels. A bitter caramel is used to tame the mussel fudge and the molasses in the cracker toffee follows the tropical themes of the passion fruit and curry leaf.
Tinned Smoked Mussel Sundae
Ingredients
- 2 quarts vanilla bean ice cream 1000mL
- 1 cup smoked mussel fudge recipe follows
- 1 cup passion fruit fluid gel recipe follows
- 48 pieces cracker toffee recipe follows
- 48 fried curry leaves recipe follows
Instructions
- Transfer the smoked mussel fudge and passion fruit gel into individual pastry bags or squeeze bottles. Set the ice cream in the refrigerator 20 minutes before assembly to for easier scooping. Chill your serving containers in the freezer for 20 minutes to keep the ice cream from melting as you assemble.
- To assemble, place a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream in each serving cup. Dispense 1 tablespoon (15 grams) smoked mussel fudge on top of each scoop, followed by 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of passion fruit gel. Garnish each serving with 3 pieces of cracker toffee and 3 pieces of curry leaf. Serve immediately.
Component Recipes
Recipes are listed in the order I recommend making them accounting for inactive time required for cooling.
- Ginger Cracker Toffee: requires a couple of hours to fully cool before usable, can be prepared up to 7 days in advance.
- Passion Fruit Fluid Gel: requires one hour to set the agar agar before blending, can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.
- Smoked Mussel Fudge: requires one hour to chill in the refrigerator to thicken to final texture, can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.
- Fried Curry Leaves: no inactive time, can be prepared up to 7 days in advance.
Ginger Cracker Toffee Recipe
Ginger Cracker Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 – 4.4 ounce box Patagonia Provisions sourdough sea salt crackers sub 1 sleeve saltines
- 30 mL water 2 tablespoons
- 100 grams dark brown sugar 1/2 cup
- 113 grams unsalted butter 1 stick or 1/2 cup
- 10 grams glucose syrup or light corn syrup 1/2 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1.5 grams flake salt 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
- Heat an oven to 350°F (325°F with fan). Grease and line a rimmed quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Lay the crackers in a single layer to cover the entire sheet pan.
- In a small saucepan, combine the water, dark brown sugar, butter, and glucose syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 280°F. Remove from heat and stir in the ginger until fully incorporated.
- Pour the mixture over the prepared crackers and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer over all of the crackers. Transfer the entire tray to the oven and bake for 6 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and scatter the flake salt on top to garnish. Set aside until completely cool. Break into ½-inch bite-sized pieces (I break each cracker in half yielding 72 to 80 pieces). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, ideally with a desiccant packet to prevent sticking.Yields 36 crackers, or 72 pieces for sundae garnish.
Passion Fruit Fluid Gel Recipe
Passion Fruit Fluid Gel
Ingredients
- 125 mL passion fruit pulp if frozen, thaw to room temperature
- 100 mL water
- 15 grams sugar 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
- 2.5 grams agar agar
- 0.5 g xanthan gum optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the passion fruit pulp, water, sugar, agar agar, and xanthan gum. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the contents. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a quarter sheet pan and chill in the refrigerator until it sets into a firm jelly, about 1 hour.
- Scoop the jelly to a blender and process until it forms a smooth gel. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or pastry bag for assembly.Yields 1 cup or 240 grams.
Smoked Mussel Fudge Recipe
Smoked Mussel Fudge
Ingredients
- 50 grams granulated sugar 1/4 cup
- 20 mL water
- 10 grams glucose syrup or light corn syrup 1/2 tablespoon
- 90 mL heavy cream warmed to 130°F (54°C)
- 1 can Patagonia Provisions smoked mussels 120 grams, with liquid
- 50 g cold unsalted butter cubed
- 0.8 g xanthan gum, optional
Instructions
- Make a caramel. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and glucose syrup. Cook over medium heat, tilting the pan and swirling occasionally, until the sugar is a deep amber caramel (I take it to the edge of burnt, like the color of an old penny—aiming for a hint of bitterness here).
- Slowly stream in the warm heavy cream to halt further caramelization. Stir with a spatula until well incorporated (be careful! it will sputter).
- Transfer the mixture to a blender along with the mussels and their broth, butter, and xanthan gum, if using. Process until smooth and well emulsified.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The mixture will thicken slightly as it cools. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or pastry bag for assembly.Yields 1.25 cups or 320 grams.
Fried Curry Leaves Recipe
Fried Curry Leaves
Ingredients
- 55 grams neutral oil 1/4 cup
- 48 curry leaves
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Prepare a plate lined with a paper towel. Working in 2 batches, add the curry leaves to the hot oil and fry, swirling and stirring occasionally, until the sputter slows and they take on a dark green color, about a minute.
- Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the fried curry leaves to the lined sheet pan. They will fully crisp up as they cool. Repeat with the remaining curry leaves.
- Once fully cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week (ideally with a desiccant packet to keep them as crisp as possible). Strip the curry leaves from the stalk when serving.
I pride myself on transparency, so know this page may include affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This supports me in writing free recipes.
Leave a Reply