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Lemongrass Coconut Mussels

Prince Edward Island mussels cooked in a delicately balanced coconut milk broth with Thai-inspired flavors.

Prep:

30

minutes

Cook:

20

minutes

TOtal:

50

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds mussels
  • 5 ounces coconut milk
  • 2 medium shallots (peeled & finely sliced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (peeled & finely sliced)
  • The zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1 stalk lemongrass (chopped)
  • 1 large knob ginger (peeled & chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 dash chili flakes
  • 6 stalks of mint
  • Salt as desired (about 1 teaspoon for flavor + 1 cup for cleaning mussels)

Instructions

  1. Before you cook the mussels, put them into your sink and sprinkle salt over the shells to coat them and then using your hands, roughly rub the shells against each other to remove some of the grit and grime on the outside of the shells. Quickly rinse off the salt with cool water.
  2. Next, using your fingers, a paring knife or pliers, pull the brown, hairlike clump on the side of the shell, sprouting out of the inside of the shell, off of each mussel. Discard any mussels with broken shells or those that refuse to close after 10-15 seconds of being touched. Set the clean mussels aside.
  3. After cleaning the mussels, prepare the shallots, garlic, lemongrass and ginger by peeling and finely slicing them. Keep each ingredient separate.
  4. Put a pot on the stove that can hold the mussels and has room for the addition of liquid. Turn the heat on high and add about 1 teaspoon of your preferred oil to cook with.
  5. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and turn the heat to low. Add a pinch of salt and move the shallots around to sweat. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the shallots start to become translucent.
  6. Add the ginger, lemongrass, and garlic, along with another pinch of salt, and continue to cook on low, stirring occasionally, until you start to smell the additional ingredients and they too, start to become translucent. Around 2-3 minutes.
  7. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the chili flakes and the mussels. Stir everything to evenly distribute, add another couple pinches of salt and continue cooking for about 2 minutes.
  8. Add the coconut milk, along with the honey, sugar, and zest and juice of the lime. Stir and continue to cook on medium-high, bringing the liquid to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the mussels down to a slow simmer and continue to cook for about 5-8 minutes or until all the mussels open completely.
  9. When all the mussels have opened, continue to cook for 1 additional minute on low heat and add the mint. Taste the broth and season accordingly.
  10. To serve, spoon the mussels into a bowl and serve with a good portion of the broth in the bowl. Use the shell as a spoon to scoop the broth so that each mussel has some broth and the mussel meat in the shell when you eat it. Serve with white bread or rice to enjoy the remaining broth.

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