Cedar & Ember · Main dishes

Coconut-Lemongrass Mussels with Grilled Baguette

Name: Coconut-Lemongrass Mussels with Grilled Baguette
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 1 kg Live mussels; 1 tbsp Neutral cooking oil; 2 whole Shallot; 2 clove Garlic; 1 tbsp Fresh ginger; 1 whole Lemongrass stalk; 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste; 400 ml Canned coconut milk; 1 tbsp Fish sauce; 1 tsp Brown sugar; 1 whole Lime; 10 g Cilantro; 6 leaf Fresh basil leaves; 0.5 whole Baguette; 1 tbsp Olive oil

A big pot of West Coast mussels steamed in a fragrant coconut, lemongrass, ginger and red curry broth, with grilled baguette for dipping.

30 minutes · Easy · 2 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Live mussels1 kg
Neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
Shallot2 whole
Garlic2 clove
Fresh ginger1 tbsp
Lemongrass stalk1 whole
Thai red curry paste1 tbsp
Canned coconut milk400 ml
Fish sauce1 tbsp
Brown sugar1 tsp
Lime1 whole
Cilantro10 g
Fresh basil leaves6 leaf
Baguette0.5 whole
Olive oil1 tbsp

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Molluscs, fish in fish sauce, and wheat. Curry paste may contain crustaceans. Check labels.

Method

Check the mussels

Scrub and debeard the mussels. Discard any with cracked shells, or any open ones that don't close when tapped firmly on the counter. Keep them cold until they go into the pot.

Build the broth

Heat the neutral oil in a large, wide pot with a lid over medium heat. Thinly slice the shallots and cook 2–3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and the lemongrass, bruised and cut into 5 cm pieces, and cook 1 minute. Stir in the curry paste and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.

Simmer

Pour in the coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes so the lemongrass infuses.

Steam the mussels

Raise the heat to high, tip in the mussels, cover tightly and cook 5–7 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until the shells have opened. Discard any that stay shut.

Grill the bread

While the mussels steam, slice the baguette on the diagonal, brush with olive oil and grill or toast in a hot pan for 1–2 minutes per side until charred.

Finish and serve

Stir in the lime juice, fish out the lemongrass pieces and scatter over the cilantro and basil. Serve straight from the pot with the grilled baguette and an empty bowl for shells.

Keep the mussels in the fridge in an open bowl covered with a damp towel until you cook them. They need to breathe, so never seal them in a bag or put them in water.

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