Thai Curry Mussels

People can be full of contradictions, and my family is no exception. I say this because there are certain foods that members of my family claim to dislike but will still eat in a particular form. This applies to my mother who doesn't like coconut yet is a big lover of Thai food, a cuisine which uses a lot of coconut infusion in many dishes. When ordering mussels in restaurants I tend to enjoy Thai style mussels and always find the broth to be quite tasty, as does my mother. So when my family asked me to prepare mussels for lunch one day I decided to try making it two different ways; one a repeat of my mussels in white wine and tomato broth and the other in a Thai broth.

I was a little concerned with how to use the coconut milk, a product I had never worked with in the past. In fact, as I opened the can I discovered that it wasn't at all liquidy like milk, but instead it was more like a paste. I did the best I could to create a flavorful broth and was reassured by the smell of it....my kitchen smelled just like a Thai restaurant.

Once the mussels were ready we all sat down and tried both versions. Everyone liked the mussels in the classic French broth, but to my surprise both my parents went crazy over the Thai style mussels. Both lovers of Asian flavors, they claimed it tasted authentic and they loved it even more than the other version. At the end of the meal my mom asked if I could start preparing more Thai dishes, such as soups, using coconut milk. I was so pleased that the mussels were a success and I managed to recreate such a powerful flavor combination.

Thai Curry Mussels
Note: If mussels are not already clean, please see previous post on how to properly clean them.

• 2 lbs cultivated mussels
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large shallots, diced
• 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 400 ml can coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken, vegetable, or fish stock
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp fish or oyster sauce
• 1 tsp chopped lemongrass
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped

1. In a large pot combine the butter and olive oil over medium heat until melted. Add the shallots and saute for about 5 minutes until they are soft.
2. Add the red curry paste and half of the stock. Mix it around and use a spoon to break up the paste into the stock.
3. In a small bowl combine the lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, fish/oyster sauce, and lemongrass.
4. Once the curry paste is dissolved, add the rest of the stock, coconut milk, sauce mixture, coriander, and half the cilantro. Bring the broth to a boil and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the mussels to the pot. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for 8-10 minutes, or until all of the mussels have opened up. 
6. Pour the mussels out onto a large dish with the broth overtop and discard any unopened ones. Top the mussels with the remainder of the cilantro and serve alongside some crusty bread.