Monday, June 6, 2016

thai coconut mussels

one thing i have forever LOVED is mussels. boiled in any kind of broth and served pipping hot with fries or crusty bread on the side... heavenly!

until today, i had never made mussels at home. the process, although seemingly simple, always felt too advanced for me. but when i was at the grocery store the other day and saw fresh mussels on sale, i couldn't resist.

i assure you, prepping and cooking mussels is arguable one of the simplest things i have done. the recipe i used was borrowed from the how sweet it is blog and includes directions on how to quickly clean and prep your mussels before cooking. a process that took me no more than 5 minutes.

if mussels aren't really your thing, i think this broth would be incredible with shredded chicken, shrimp, scallops or crab meat... or a combination of a few of those things. it would also be deliciously satisfying all on its own or filled with wilted greens for a vegetarian option.


thai coconut mussels
ever so slightly modified from how sweet it is

:: ingredients ::
2 pounds mussels (i only used one pound, but still made the entire broth recipe so i would have extra for sipping the next day)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons red curry paste
a sprinkling of chilli flakes (optional if you like a bit of extra heat)
1 large (400ml) can full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock (i used chicken bone broth as its what i had on hand)
2 green onions, sliced
baguette or bread for serving (or fries!)

:: directions ::
keep the mussels refrigerated until you're ready to use. once ready, place them in a large bowl of ice cold water. scrub the outsides of the mussels and remove the string (or "beard") by pulling it out. discard any mussels that have opened already. keep the mussels in the ice water.

heat a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the butter. once it's melted, stir in the onions, garlic, salt and pepper. stir and cook for 5 minutes, until slightly softened. stir in the curry paste and chilli flakes (if using) and continue to stir until it's distributed throughout the entire pan of onions. cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and stock, stirring until it's smooth. bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring continuously. reduce the heat to medium low. add the mussels and toss. cover the pot and cook just until the mussels open, about 5 to 6 minutes. garnish with the sliced green onions. stir the mussels well so the broth makes it into the shells. serve immediately with baguettes or fries.

enjoy! xx