It only takes 15 minutes to rustle up this low-calorie Thai recipe. If you want to turn it into a big meal, serve with hot, sticky rice.
Ingredients
- 2kg fresh mussels, in their shells
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 lemongrass stalks, outer layers discarded, cores bashed and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
- 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges to serve
- 6 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra sprigs to serve
Method
- 1. Scrub the mussels well, removing the beards and any barnacles. Discard any with broken shells or any that don’t close tight when tapped on a hard surface.
- 2. Lightly crush the cumin seeds with a pestle and mortar, then add the lemongrass, ginger, chillies and garlic and bash to a paste.
- 3. Heat the oil in a very large pan – ideally, a wok. Add the spice paste and gently cook for 1 minute, then add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Tip in the mussels, then cover and cook, shaking the pan every now and then, for about 3 minutes or until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that remain shut.
- 4. Add the fish sauce, lime zest and juice and chopped coriander. Serve in warm bowls with the lime wedges, garnished with coriander sprigs.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 341kcals, 22g fat (0.8g saturated) 26.8g protein, 9.8g carbs, 0.9g sugar, 2g salt
Wine Recommendation
A fragrant, zesty modern white such as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Australian Riesling is ideal. Make sure you pick one that’s crisp and unoaked.