Spicy Coconut Mussels with Lemon Grass

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Thank you Pam for introducing me to this light and tasty mussel dish at Girlyfest 2013!! Just one of the highlights of the never-ending happy hour(s)! This was quite the leap for me to rediscover the very shell that hospitalized me in Italy years ago. Now… I’m back in the game! While mussels, the main ingredient, are lovely little saline bites, the brilliance of this recipe is the sauce. The bite of the Chile, sweetness of the coconut milk, bright lemon and fresh herbs leave you wanting a straw!!! Soak up this tasty broth with crusty bread, serve with a side salad and a crisp white wine. Enjoy this recipe and the health benefits of the mussels……a great low-fat, high protein food source filled with lots of nutrients like omega-3 and iron.

Spicy Coconut Mussels with Lemon Grass     (The New York Times) 

Serves 2

2 tablespoons coconut or safflower oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 stalk lemon grass, trimmed (outer layers removed) and finely chopped

1/2 to 1 small hot chile ( Thai bird, Serrano, Scotch bonnet or jalapeño), seeded and finely chopped

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 pounds fresh mussels, rinsed well

Zest of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon lemon juice, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce, or to taste

1/2 cup whole cilantro leaves

1 baguette

Clean your mussels. I put them in a big bowl of very cold water for about 10 minutes. This encourages them to expel their sand. Scoop them out… one by one and scrub them under running water. Most cultivated mussels have the bissus (beard) removed but if one lingers, yank it toward the hinge or cut it with a knife. Discard any mussels with chipped shells or that are not completely shut.

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot until hot. Add the shallot, garlic, lemon grass and chile. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and mussels. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the mussels have opened, 5 to 7 minutes (discard any mussels that remained closed). Remove from heat, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a large bowl, leaving the liquid in the pot. Stir the lemon zest and juice, fish sauce and cilantro into the pot. Taste and add more fish sauce and/or lemon juice if needed (fish sauce provides the salt).

Serve with baguette to soak up the yummy juices. Add a fresh green salad to complete your meal.

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2 Comments

  1. Next time you make these let me know!! I laughed out loud at your straw comment 🙂 And tell Randy great job on the hand model!

  2. Holly Long

    We are going to make this soon. I am so glad you got the recipe. I read the recipe to Dave and he can’t wait it have it. Yum!

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