MUSSELS WITH SAUSAGE, COCONUT MILK AND LIME

Mussels with Sausage, Coconut Milk and Lime image

Provided by Stan Frankenthaler

Yield Makes 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onions
8 ounces hot links sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled lemongrass
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 dozen mussels, scrubbed, debearded

Steps:

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, sausage, lemongrass, ginger and garlic and sauté 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except cilantro and mussels and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Mix in half of cilantro.
Meanwhile, place mussels in large pot. Cover and cook over medium heat until mussels open and release their juices, about 5 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open).
Divide mussels among shallow soup bowls. Stir any mussel liquid into coconut-milk mixture; ladle over mussels. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.