Recipe Tip: Thai-style Mussels

Top Recipe for 2 Persons. All ingredients and tips for getting it right. Mussels harmonise wonderfully with various flavours - coconut milk and coriander are just two of many.

Ingredients

• 1 kg fresh mussels
• 1 fresh ginger (thumb-size piece/5 cm long)
• 1 fresh turmeric (thumb-size piece/5 cm long)
• 2 clove(s) garlic
• 1 stalk(s) lemongrass
• Thai chillies, to taste
• 2 spring onions, to taste
• 5 sprig(s) fresh coriander
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon(s) fish sauce
• 10 g palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• juice of one lime
• white rice

Steps

1. Rinse each mussel under cold water and pull out the beard with a firm tug. Throw away broken shells. If the mussels are open, tap the shells - if they do not close, throw them away.
2. Peel and finely chop ginger, turmeric and garlic. Remove the hard outer layers of the lemongrass, then cut into fine rings. Finely chop the chillies, cut the spring onions diagonally about five millimeters thick. Wash the coriander and chop the stalks.
3. Open the coconut milk can (do not shake beforehand) and only use the thick, deposited fat. Pour off liquid milk or save for another recipe.
4. Heat some oil in a saucepan. Fry the garlic, chillies, turmeric, lemongrass, and onion briefly. Deglaze with the coconut cream. Add the fish sauce and palm sugar and simmer until dissolved.
5. Turn up the heat and add the mussels. Close the lid and cook for about four minutes. Shake the pot frequently. Open the lid and check whether all the mussels have opened - if many are still closed, stir, close the lid and cook for another minute.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Put in a bowl, sprinkle with coriander and serve with rice.