My daughter Lily first tried mussels when she was about three or four. I was just chancing my arm in getting her to taste them, thinking she wouldn’t like them. But she loved them, especially the idea of using an empty shell to eat the mussel.
So this recipe has always gone down well at home, and the broth itself is delicious. The mussels I use are Kelly’s, from Galway Bay. If your kids aren’t into heat, you can cut down on, or leave out, the chillies.
Joyce Timmins is executive chef and catering manager at Marymount Care Centre, in Co Dublin
STEAMED MUSSELS IN A COCONUT BROTH
Serves four
Ingredients
1kg mussels
2 lemon grass stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Thumb-size piece of ginger, grated
2 limes, zest and juice
2 x 400g tins of coconut milk (I used Chaokoh)
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 fresh chillies, chopped, for broth and garnish
½ bunch coriander, stems and leaves chopped, for broth and garnish
Method
1 Wash and debeard the mussels.
2 In a wok fry the ginger, garlic, lemon grass and coriander.
3 Add 1 chopped chilli with the zest and juice of the limes.
4 Add coconut milk, bring to the boil, allow to reduce slightly.
5 Add the mussels and fish sauce.
6 Cover with another pan, a lid or a roasting tray, to allow the mussels to steam.
7 Bring the broth back to the boil, giving the mussels a toss.
8 Wait for mussels to fully open. This takes three to five minutes. (Don't try to eat any that do not open.)
9 Serve in a large bowl or even the wok you cooked them in.
10 Garnish with remaining chilli and coriander. Serve with crusty bread to soak up that gorgeous broth.
Kitchen Cabinet is a series of recipes from chefs who are members of Euro-Toques Ireland, who have come together during the coronavirus outbreak to share some of the easy, tasty things that they like to cook and eat at home #ChefsAtHome
