I like to use nice plump mussels for this recipe. Often the farmed or cultured mussels found in markets are larger than wild picked and tend to be less work to prepare for cooking. Any fibers that the mussels use to attached themselves to rocks or rope for cultivated mussels, should be pulled off (‘debearding’ as it’s known) as the strands are tough and inedible.
Ingredients
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- •1 small shallot peeled and finely chopped
- •1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
- •1 medium red bell pepper sliced thin
- •2.5 cm (1-inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled, and finely chopped
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) red curry paste
- •30 grams (2 tablespoons) curry powder
- •One 399 ml (13.5 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
- •710 ml (3 cups) of fish or vegetable stock, homemade if possible
- •13 cm (5 inch) stem lemongrass washed, woody green top removed
- •Salt and pepper to taste
- •907 grams (2 pounds) fresh mussels, rinsed, any broken ones discarded
- •15 grams (½ cup) chopped freshly cilantro
Preparation
In a deep pot, heat the oil and sauté the shallot, ginger, pepper and garlic until golden. Add the curry paste and powder, mixing well until smooth.
Add the coconut milk, stock and lemon grass. Simmer on very low heat for at least 30 minutes to develop the flavors of the ginger and lemon grass. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Rinse and clean the mussels, removing any fibers from the shell and add them to the sauce. Turn the flame up and simmer for 4-5 minutes until all the mussels are open, discarding any that do not open. Sprinkle the cilantro over and serve immediately.