Mussels in Coconut Curry Broth

Over the years I have enjoyed eating mussels in coconut curry broth at different restaurants in Seattle and have been thinking about making them myself at home. So this month I did, and a few times.

The recipe I came up with can be modified to fit individual tastes. The ingredients list is pretty simple given you have an Asian market nearby. I prefer to have a kick in my broth so I add more curry paste. If you don't, start with less and then add more later if needed. I also use low sodium chicken broth since I would rather add salt later. Plus different curry pastes have different amount of salt in them. For a more dense broth add more coconut milk. But if you are like me and cannot look at the amount of saturated fat 13.5 oz can has then add half or a third. Here is the recipe I adopted.

Ingredients:

2-2.5 lbs of mussels, rinsed, cleaned. (I usually buy 3 lbs at least because you need to toss the ones that are open and/or broken. I buy mussels at the Taylor Shellfish store in the Melrose Market.)
1/2 can (about 6 oz) of coconut milk
8 oz of low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon of Olive or other vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of red curry paste (This gives me heat of about 2-3 stars, the brand of the paste is Aroy-D and is sold at Ranch 99 or Uwajimaya)
1 small shallot finely chopped
1 tablespoon of finely chopped lemongrass stock (white part only)
1 tablespoon of sugar
4 kafir lime leaves, chopped
salt to taste
fresh chopped cilantro and green onions for garnish
1 white baguette to serve

 Preparation:

1. In a large pot (I use my Le Creuset dutch oven) on medium high heat saute shallot, lemongrass and lime leaves in olive oil for 1 minute. Add curry paste and mix, let cook for 30 seconds. Add sugar, coconut milk, chicken broth and bring to a boil. Boil for about 3 minutes. Taste the broth and add sugar, more milk or salt if needed.

2. Add mussels to the broth, reduce heat to medium and cover with a lid. Let cook for 3 minutes until mussels open up. Serve with fresh baguette so you can dip it into the broth. I prefer Columbia City baguette.