Mussel Salad with Curry Mayonnaise

Peel the potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Fill a small saucepan two-thirds full with water and bring to a boil. Add the potato and boil until tender when pierced with a fork, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Discard any mussels that do not close to the touch. In a large saucepan, bring the 1 cup water to a boil. Add the mussels, cover and steam over high heat, stirring once or twice, until the shells open, 2-3 minutes. Drain the mussels and discard any that have not opened. Remove all but 4 mussels from their shells. Place the shelled mussels in a large bowl; set aside the mussels in their shells to use as garnish.

Cut the roasted bell pepper into 1/2-inch squares. Add to the mussels in the bowl, along with the potato, apple, shallots, basil, parsley, mayonnaise, curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. Mix together gently but thoroughly.

Divide the salad among individual plates and sprinkle each salad with a dash of cayenne. Top each salad with a mussel in the shell and garnish with a basil sprig. Serve immediately.