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Mussels in Coconut Broth
Mussels are something I just recently discovered. I was raised on a farm in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. As you can imagine our selection of fresh mollusks was nothing at all. I am most familiar with the California Mussels that grows ubiquitously along the California coast, although there are over 300 species of mussels that grow in every ocean in the world. California mussels can develop pearls and it’s not all that uncommon for someone to crunch right through one while feasting. Don't worry if you do, pearls are not harmful, and are sometimes used in Chinese herbal remedies.
For 6 People (although this will greatly depend upon the size of the mussels in your area)
Ingredients
Conversions to European measurements can be found here!
- 3 pounds fresh mussels
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups fish broth (or clam juice)
- 1 stalk lemon grass (or zest of 1/2 a lemon)
- 2 tablespoons red chili paste (or 1 sliced jalapeno)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 large, crushed garlic clove
- 2 thick slices peeled galanga (or 2 thick slices of peeled ginger)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 green onions finely sliced
Procedure
In a large pot (large enough to hold all the mussels plus the broth) heat up the olive oil and put in the garlic, onion, and ginger. Sauté the ingredients over medium heat. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Once the onions have started to soften pour in the fish stock. Bring the stock to a simmer and add the lemon grass. Add the coconut milk with the chili paste. Allow the broth to simmer for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
While you are waiting it's a good time to clean and de-beard your mussels. First sort all of the mussels, discard any mussels that are not firmly closed. De-beard the closed mussels just by pulling the beard straight away from the mussel; it should resist being torn away. Once you have de-bearded your mussels do not attempt to store them. De-bearded mussels are dying and they will get less and less fresh as time goes on. Scrub any gunk off the outside of the mussels.
Turn the heat up on the broth so that it is boiling rapidly. Put in the mussels all at once and place a tight fitting lid on the pot. After about 2 minutes take the lid off and let the steam escape. Allow the mussels to cook for about two minutes more. Take them off the heat if you see that the mussels have fully opened.
You can serve in individual bowls or from one big serving dish. Place a good serving of mussels in a bowl and pour in several ladles full of broth. Sprinkle the green onion and cilantro over the top of the mussels and serve.
Tricks
Sometimes the mussels will give off allot of water when they cook. This can lighten the broth too much. If this happens you can remove all the mussels from the broth and turn up the heat to reduce the broth. You can't reduce the broth with the mussels because they will become very over cooked.
Sometimes the mussels will give off allot of sand when they cook. If this happens to you just allow the broth to rest; the sand will fall to the bottom of the pot. Then just spoon the broth from the top. Also its a good idea to locate the offending mussel and remove it.
Notes
I have had the hardest time finding a fish market that will sell mussels with their beards on. As I mentioned above once a mussel is de-bearded it starts to die. I can understand a fish merchant wanting to make his/her products look their best but not at the expense of quality. Why does this effect quality? Because I have no way of knowing how long ago that mussel was de-bearded. And that means I have no way of knowing how dead and shriveled the mussel is inside.
Suggestions
If you liked the mussels with coconut broth, but you are thinking that you might like to try something new. Give the Manilla Clams in Plum Takara Sake Broth a try.