Thai Red Curry Mussels

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6 Servings

I love to set a big bowl of freshly-steamed mussels down in the middle of a dinner party and watch what happens. Some guests dive in with gleeful abandon while the shellfish newbies hang back to see how it’s done. Either way, soon everyone is grabbing mussels from the bowl, slurping from the shells, and fighting over the last chunks of bread to sop up the sauce. It’s a happy, playful, messy scene that never fails to get the party going.

Ingredients

2 to 3 pounds mussels
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-inch) ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
4 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 ciabatta loaf, thinly sliced and toasted

Instructions

Pick over the mussels, discarding any that are broken or that don't close within a few minutes after tapping them gently on the counter. Clean and de-beard the remaining mussels. Set the cleaned mussels in a bowl near the stove.
Film a large skillet with olive oil and set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the peppers. Cook until they are soft and the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and cook another 30 seconds.
Add the curry paste, brown sugar, and fish sauce to the vegetables and stir to coat evenly. Shake the can of coconut milk thoroughly before opening it, then pour it into the pan along with the chicken broth. Bring the curry to a simmer and let it cook until reduced and slightly thickened.
Add the mussels to the pan and cover. Cook for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that haven't fully opened after 5 minutes.
Transfer the mussels and curry to a serving bowl. Squeeze half the lime over top and tuck the remaining wedges around the bowl. Eat immediately with the toasted baguette for dipping into the curry sauce.