RECIPES FROM 1979
Jiffy Mussel Chowder
A speedy 1979 chowder made with packet soup, six mussels and mayonnaise.
VERY 1979
20 MINS
SERVES 4
ABOUT THE RECIPE
Jiffy Mussell Chowder combines packet leek and potato soup with evaporated milk, canned peas and corn, and just six steamed mussels. It is quick, economical and exactly the sort of confidently peculiar recipe that makes an old cookbook so much fun to explore.
THE ORIGINAL RECIPE
THE MODERN CONVERSION
From 1979 to today’s kitchen.
The original recipe, reworked with clearer measurements, modern steps and everything you need to make it now.
Ingredients
6 mussels, steamed and removed from their shells
1 packet leek and potato soup mix
1½ cups cold water
½ cup evaporated milk
1 small can peas, drained
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 small can whole kernel corn, drained
Method
1.
Roughly chop the steamed mussel meat and set aside.
2.
Place the leek and potato soup mix in a medium saucepan. Add a small amount of the measured cold water and stir until a smooth paste forms.
3.
Gradually stir in the remaining water. Place over medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring regularly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the soup mixture has thickened and cooked through.
4.
Add the drained peas and corn, evaporated milk and mayonnaise. Stir until thoroughly combined, then return the mixture just to the boil.
5.
Add the chopped mussels and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
6.
Divide between bowls and serve immediately.
THE TASTE TEST
So, was it worth making again?
The honest verdict after cooking from the 1979 page.
This was not like any chowder I have had before. It was much closer to a white sauce with peas and corn, with chopped mussels stirred through. The good news is that, despite the full tablespoon going in, I could not taste the mayonnaise at all.
It tasted fine. If someone served it to me, I would eat it, but it was not delicious, and I would not bother making it again. I think this one can stay in 1979.
SAMANTHA'S NOTES
Four starters, not mains
Use plain mussels
Add the mussels last
The original recipe says it serves four, but those would be quite small portions. Treat it as four starters or two light meals.
Avoid smoked or marinated mussels, which would change the flavour considerably.
The mussels are already cooked, so they only need a few minutes to heat through. Cooking them for too long can make them tough.
KEEP COOKING
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