Mussels in Coconut Broth with Rice Noodles

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Mussels in Coconut Broth with Rice Noodles

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 3-4 fresh bay leaves

  • 1 3-inch stick cinnamon

  • 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced

  • Salt to taste

  • 2 large cloves garlic, grated

  • 2 inch knob of ginger, grated

  • 5-6 stalks of spring onions, chopped

  • 3/4 tsp turmeric powder

  • 400ml light coconut milk

  • 500ml chicken stock

  • 2-3 Thai green chillies, slit

  • 1 romano pepper, sliced

  • 10-12 Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped

  • 1 kg fresh mussels, cleaned

  • 4 portions rice noodles, cooked according to pack instructions

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Method of Preparation

  1. Bring a large soup pot to medium heat. Add the oil, and as it heats, add the bay leaves + cinnamon. Once they become fragrant, add the sliced onion. Sauté for a couple of minutes, before adding some salt to allow them to sweat. Add the grated garlic + ginger + chopped spring onion stalks, and cook for a couple of minutes. Cover the pot with a lid, and let it cook on low/medium heat for about 10-15 minutes till the onions are nice and soft + melt-y and the garlic + ginger lose their raw smell, checking regularly to see that the onions don’t catch the bottom of the pan. Remove the lid, and increase the heat to medium. Add the turmeric powder and stir well to mix. After a minute or so, add the coconut milk + chicken stock + slit green chillies. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for ~20 minutes. Remove the lid and add the sliced romano peppers + Thai basil leaves and cook for ~7 minutes. Then add the cleaned mussels, cover and cook for ~3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat.

  2. While the broth is cooking, prepare the rice noodles. Divide between 4 bowls, and top with the coconut broth + mussels + a wedge of lemon. Enjoy hot!

Note: Make sure that the mussels are scrubbed clean. Any mussels that are open or broken before cooking should be discarded, and any mussels that don’t open after cooking should be discarded.

Pro-tip: The best way to eat mussels is by using the shell of one to pinch and remove the meat from another.