Steamed Mussels in Lemongrass Coconut Curry

Ingredients

Contains: wheat, soy, fish, shellfish (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed & picked through (discard cracked shells and ones that don't close when tapped)
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, white part grated with microplane grater (or substitute with 4 wide strips of lemon peel)
• 2 bottles of clam juice (or substitute with vegetable broth + wine)
• 1 can (14oz) of good coconut milk, shake the can vigorously to mix the fat with the liquid
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of Thai curry paste (depends on your spice level)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (or substitute with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 small skeins of mung bean noodles, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes.
• chopped scallions & chili for topping

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Scrub the mussels under cold running water and pick through them, discarding any with cracked shells or any that do not close when tapped.

2. Grate the white part of the lemongrass finely with a microplane grater. Drain the noodles that have soaked in cold water and set them aside.

3. In a large lidded pot over medium heat, combine the clam juice, shaken coconut milk, curry paste to taste, grated lemongrass, sugar and fish sauce. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes.

4. Add the mussels to the pot, cover, and steam over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the shells open. Discard any mussels that stay closed.

5. Check that the mussel meat is opaque and reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part before serving.

6. Add the drained noodles to the pot and let them warm in the broth for about 1 minute.

7. Divide the mussels, noodles and broth among bowls and top with the chopped scallions and chili.