SPICY COCONUT MUSSELS WITH LEMONGRASS

Spicy Coconut Mussels With Lemongrass image

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, lemongrass, garlic and chiles that perfectly frames the sweetness of the meat.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 20m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut or safflower oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed (outer layers removed) and finely chopped
1/2 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
1/2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce, or to taste
1/2 cup whole cilantro leaves
1 or 2 croissants, split in half.

Steps:

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot until hot. Add the shallot, garlic, lemongrass 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).
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.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 869, UnsaturatedFat 20 grams, Carbohydrate 42 grams, Fat 53 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 60 grams, SaturatedFat 27 grams, Sodium 1536 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams