Spicy Coconut Mussels with Lemon Grass

Mussels are cheap, delicious and relatively fun to eat: saline, mild and plump little bites. They are also extremely easy to cook, especially if they’ve been farmed (most mussels you find in markets have been). Just give them a good rinse, and they are ready to go. Here the treatment heads in the general direction of Thailand, offering a sauce of coconut milk, lemon grass, garlic and chiles that perfectly frames the sweetness of the meat.

Ingredients

• 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
• ½ to 1 small hot chile (like 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
• ½ teaspoon Asian fish sauce, or to taste
• ½ cup whole cilantro leaves
• 1 or 2 croissants, split in half.

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

    781 calories; 38 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 58 grams protein; 149 milligrams cholesterol; 1606 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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2 servings

Preparation

1. 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).
2. As the mussels cook, heat the broiler. Place the croissants, cut side up, on a small baking sheet. Run under the broiler until just golden. Put the mussels in two wide, shallow bowls. Ladle the broth over them and serve with the croissants.

20 minutes