Thai Style Mussels with Herbs

Source:  Sunset magazine

3 T canola oil
4 stalks of lemongrass, ends trimmed and stalks smashed
1 small yellow onion, sliced into rings
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 can coconut milk
1/2 c white wine
1 T fish sauce
2 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2 each basil and mint sprigs (leaves and stem separated)

Heat a large pot over medium high-het.  Add oil and heat until shimmering.  cook lemongrass and onion, stirring frequently, until onion begins to caramelize and turn golden, about 8 minutes.  Stir in chiles, coconut milk, wine, fish sauce and her stems.  Bring mixture to a simmer.  Add mussels and cover pot.  Cook until mussels open wide (discard any unopened ones) 4-5 minutes.  Transfer to serving bowl.  sprinkle with herb leaves.  Serve with lime and rice.

I love mussels.  Love love love them.  I love weird and unusual ingredients, and have been toying with the idea of using fresh lemongrass.  So I decided to muster up my courage and try this recipe.  It just sounded so good.  I lined up my friends and intrepid cooks and tasters to join forces and make this a Sunday night meal.

Some ingredient notes.  Mussels.  They are not that expensive -- around  $5 a pound.  You get them alive, and you need to keep them alive until you cook them.  That means keeping them on ice, in the fridge and in a bag that's open and allows oxygen in.  You are supposed to debeard them -- the means pulling out the stiff threads that sometimes stick out of the shell before cooking.  Also, before you cook, make sure that all the mussels are closed.  That means they are alive.  If some shells are slightly open, tap them gently on the shell.  If they close, all is well.  If they don't change, throw them out, they are dead.

Lemongrass.  I got mine at Whole Foods.  Here is what it looks like.

It looks kind of like a bamboo stick.  Not your average herb for sure.  First remove the tough outer layers.  Then trim the ends.  Chop the long stalk into sections, and whack the sections a few times with a heavy knife to release the aromas as you cook it.  Before eating, remove the stalk from the dish -- it will remain tough and inedible.

Despite the exotic sounding ingredients, there is not much to putting this dish together, and it's remarkably fast.  If you are a mussel fan at all, you will love this dish.  The lemongrass perfumes the creamy rich broth.  The red pepper flakes provide just the right amount of heat.  We served the dish with fresh baked bread, to sop up the delicious juices.  It is a different twist on mussels, and a wonderful fragrant comfort food.