I only started eating mussels in the past few years, and have become a total sucker for them. They are easy to prepare, delicious, and a nice (affordable!) departure from typical fish dishes on nights we want seafood. My go-to mussel dish is on the heavier side, served with pasta and a rich, spicy sauce. With the weather being so warm, I decided to try a lighter approach to mussels!
Using this recipe as a point of inspiration, I set about whipping up some Coconut Lime Mussels!
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs fresh Mussels
- 1 small piece of fresh Ginger, grated
- 2 Shallots, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, pressed
- Zest from 3 Limes
- Olive Oil
- ¾ cup White Wine
- Fresh Basil (and Cilantro if desired), torn for garnish
Coconut Sauce:
- 2 cups Coconut Milk
- 1 tsp. Coriander
- ½ cup Cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp. Fish Sauce
- 2 tbsp. Lime Juice
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
Step One: Clean the mussels in cold water (more on cleaning mussels in this post).
Step Two: Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and blend well (I used my immersion blender, but a food processor would work well also). Set sauce aside.
Step Three: Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add the grated ginger, shallots, garlic, and lime zest, and sauté over medium high heat for 3 minutes.
Step Four: Add the white wine and mussels to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring well. Reduce heat to simmer, cover with a lid, and allow to steam for another 3 minutes (or until all mussels have opened).
Step Five: Remove lid and add the sauce to the mussels, stirring well. Remove from heat, top with torn basil leaves, and serve immediately.
The coconut and lime make this dish feel light and summery. I loved the flavor the sauce added to the mussels; I would recommend serving with a baguette to sop up the excess sauce, because it was too good to let go to waste!
Happy Cooking!
~ Megan
Common Plate 