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).