Thai Style Steamed Mussels

don't be intimidated, Thai this recipe out...

I've gone a little chef-y on you with this series - I'm featuring mussels. But, really, there isn't that much more to cooking them than say shrimp or a nice piece of fish. You just have to know how to clean and prepare them properly. There are three key things you need to know before cooking mussels:

1) You need to clean them really well - scrub them under cool running water with a hard bristled brush.

The beard: small "hairs" seen at bottom left

2) They have beards - not all of them do, but some of them will and you need to remove it. See the picture (right) where a tuft of "hair" is hanging from the mussel. All you have to do is grab it and tug it free, pulling left or right.

3) They MUST be alive - you do not want to eat a dead mussel, that can make you sick. You want mussels that are tightly shut or shut when you tap the shell. If there are any that are broken or don't close when you tap them, throw them away!!

Really that's all you need to know. Don't be afraid of them. They are much more afraid of us - wouldn't you be? We are going to eat them! So, step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Make this appetizer and impress your guests, here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 6-8 Appetizer Portions
2 1/2 lbs. Mussels, debearded & scrubbed
2 T Peanut Oil
2 Stalks Lemongrass, crushed
3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 inches Ginger, grated/minced
1 Serrano Pepper, chopped
1 Green Onion, chopped
1/2 C Dry White Wine
2 T Lime Juice
2 T Fish Sauce
1 Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk (suggest Chaokoh)
2 T Cilantro, chopped
2 T Basil, chopped
Serve: Crusty White Baguette

Directions
Begin by cleaning and debearding the mussels. Put them in a colander and allow them to drain.

Heat a large Dutch Oven over med-high heat. Add the oil, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, Serrano, and green onion. Cook for 2 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the wine, lime juice, fish sauce, and coconut milk. Cook for another minute.

Next, add the mussels. Stir to coat them with the broth and turn the heat down to medium. Cover the pot and steam for 4-6 minutes, until the mussels open. If any don't open, discard. They were dead already.

Finally, pour the mussels and the broth into a serving dish. Top with the chopped cilantro and basil. Serve with torn slices of crusty bread to soak up the best part - the flavorful broth. Enjoy with the remainder of the bottle of wine!