Mussels in Thai Coconut Sauce Recipe

There's really not much to this dish. It does just what it says in the title, and mussels in a Thai green coconut sauce are produced. As the Belgians teach us with their 'moules-frites', mussels should not be served alone, and these oriental-flavoured mussels are delicious served with crusty bread or fries. Why not try making our cider bread for something different, or our paprika sweet potato wedges?

Traditionally, mussels are paired with a Muscadet white wine, however it's more common for Thai mussels to go with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc if you're interested in wine pairings. If you're more of a beer person, Witbier is the recommend drink to go with mussels. This is not a dish you can make and serve later (note the final word of the recipe: immediately) as mussels need to be eaten fresh.

Don't forget to discard any damaged mussels, and some say you should discard mussels which do not open whilst cooking. This is because, as mussels need to be alive before you cook them and the springing open of the shell shows you they've died in the cooking process, a shut shell implies the mussels were already dead, and are therefore unsafe to eat. Before cooking, poke any already opened mussels. If they shut when poked, they are safe to use. If they do not shut when prompted, they are already dead, and therefore not safe to cook and eat.

HOW TO MAKE MUSSELS IN A THAI COCONUT SAUCE

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the Thai curry paste and garlic for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk and the mussels. Cover the pan and leave for about 5 minutes until all the mussels have opened. Discard any broken or unopened ones. Stir through the coriander and serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 2tbsp sunflower oil
• 3tbsp Thai green curry paste
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1kg mussels, cleaned
• 400g can coconut milk
• ½ small bunch coriander, roughly chopped