Thai Mussels in Coconut Milk

A bowl of cooked mussels in Thai coconut milk garnished with red chilies and green onion.

Thai mussels are packed full of flavor and can be served as an appetizer or main course. They take around 30minutes to make and the dish is a perfect balance of sweet and savory. Cooked in a simple Thai coconut sauce, this easy seafood dish is a real crowd pleaser!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Thai

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings appetizer servings or 2 large servings

Calories 367kcal

Author Slow The Cook Down

Ingredients

35 ounces mussels (1kg)
1 red chilli (finely chopped)
1 inch ginger (very finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup white wine (250 ml) can substitute with chicken or vegetable stock
Juice of 1 lime
1 stem of lemongrass (halved lengthways)
1 tsp fish sauce
27 ounces canned coconut milk (800ml) (2 cans)
Handful of cilantro (coriander) (finely chopped)
2 spring onions (finely sliced)
1 red chilli (finely sliced)

Instructions

First off, de-beard and scrub the outside of the mussels (this will take about 15 mins depending on where you buy them) and leave to one side.
In a large, deep pan, heat the oil over a medium high heat and add the chopped chilli, ginger and garlic. Cook for around 5 mins until the ingredients start to soften, stir occasionally.
Add in the wine (or stock), lime juice and lemon grass and bring to the boil.
When ready, add in the mussels and put a lid on the pan. It will take about 3-4 mins for the mussels to cook. Once they are all open, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
To the liquid in the pot, add the coconut milk, fish sauce and cilantro. Stir until the mixture has heated through. Taste the broth add add more lime juice if needed - this can depend on how juicy your limes are.
Add the mussels in for a couple of minutes, gently stir them so that they are all coated with the Thai sauce.
Spoon the mussels into bowls, and then pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle the sliced onions and chills over the top and serve with lots of crusty bread.

Notes

If any mussels are open before you clean them, give them a tap. If they don't close, discard them.
Discard any mussels that are closed after you have cooked them.
Use the freshest ingredients for the best flavors.
You can use frozen mussels if you can't find fresh, but thaw them thoroughly before cooking and inspect for broken shell and any beards that haven't been removed.
When cooking the mussels, use a see through pan lid if you have one, so that you can see when the mussels have opened.
Be sure to serve with crusty bread to mop up those delicious juices!
Nutritional values are based on one of four appetizer servings and are an estimate only.

Nutrition