Cooking For Family & Friends

This is a mussels dish made Thai style with coconut milk and Thai aromatics. This is a very simple dish that doesn’t take long to make. Steamed mussels with white wine, butter and shallots are delicious but in this recipe, cooking mussels with coconut milk and aromatics add a tasty juxtaposition of tartness, zest, and richness.

Ingredients:

-1 bag/32 oz of fresh mussels, scrubbed and rinsed with beards taken out

-2 lemongrass stalks, peeled, cut in half and smashed at the ends

-1 shallot, sliced thinly

-1/2 can of coconut milk

-4-6 kaffir lime leaves, ripped in half to release aroma

-3-4 slices of galangal

-1-2 Thai hot chili, smashed (optional)

-1/2 teaspoon palm sugar/regular sugar

-1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

-1/2 cup cilantro, chopped roughly

-1 lime, cut in half

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut milk in a medium to large saucepan with cover. If the coconut milk is very chunky, add a little water or chicken broth to thin out so the consistency is soupy. You don’t need to add too much water because the mussels will release liquid as they cook. Stir and add the hot chili, galangal, sugar, kaffir lime leaves, shallot, lemongrass. Get to a simmer.
2. Once the aromatics are simmering, add in mussels and cover. Give the covered pan a few shakes. Cook mussels for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked. You can take a big spoon and pour the coconut milk mixture over the mussels to evenly coat.
3. Once mussels are opened, sprinkle cilantro on top, fish sauce, and squeeze lime to taste. I like a more tart flavor so I use almost the full lime. Serve immediately.