Jono & Jules do food & wine

Mussels are a frequent Friday night feature in our house. This Thai inspired method tastes great and it looks very pretty too.

Wine Suggestion: this works with light, fruity and gently aromatic whites and our choice this evening was the Colterenzio Gewürztraminer from the Alto Adige in north-eastern Italy. A dry style but with lovely delicate fruit and subtle aromatics showing its cooler climate roots.

Thai mussels with coconut, chilli & lime – serves 4

• 2kg mussels
• 1½ tbsp groundnut oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced finely into long strips
• 2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
• juice of 1 lime
• ½ tbsp soft light brown sugar
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, cut into strips (or grated zest of a lime)

TO SERVE:

• 2 kaffir lime leaves, cut into strips (or grated zest of a lime)
• 4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
• ½ a red chilli, deseeded and shredded

Wash the mussels in a few changes of cold water and remove any beards and barnacles. Discard any that don’t close when you tap them on the side of the sink.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger & chillies. Cook over a medium heat until the onion is soft. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, sugar & lime leaves. Bring almost to the boil, then add the mussels.

Cover and cook for 4 minutes or until the mussels have opened, give the pan a good shake now and then. Throw away any mussels that haven’t opened and serve in a large bowl with the lime leaves, coriander and chilli scattered over the top.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2011)