Mussels with Red Curry

One of my favourite foods is mussels.
These delicious little mouthfuls are so easy to prepare and fun to eat. You can use your fingers & not worry about table manners too much! Even The Gourmand was licking his fingers.

Working close to the Victoria Markets means that I can purchase fresh mussels at lunchtime, and either Paul or myself can quickly prepare them for the evening meal. Very easy & very delicious!

Components
1kg fresh mussels, cleaned
2tbl red curry paste
400ml coconut cream
Kaffir lime leaves,
Vietnamese mint

Process
Pour some vegetable oil into a large saucepan, one big enough to hold all the mussels with room to spare. Heat the oil over a medium heat, then add the curry paste. Cook the curry paste until it becomes fragrant & separates.
Add the coconut cream and a couple of Kaffir lime leaves, (crush the leaves lightly in your hand to help release the fragrance).
Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally till it has reduced to a thick consistency. Don’t worry about the sauce being too thick as the mussels throw a lot of water when they are added, thinning the sauce sufficiently.
Turn up the heat to high & add the cleaned mussels and a handful of fresh Vietnamese mint. Put the lid on the saucepan to help steam the mussels. They won’t take long to cook & open.
Give the mussels a stir to coat them all in the curry sauce & to ensure that all have been cooked
Serve immediately with some steamed rice and Asian greens.
1kg is plenty for two.