According to Barton Seaver, steamed mussels offer the best of many worlds to a home cook trying to get dinner on the table fast. Firstly, they are packed with protein, vitamins B12 and C, iron and manganese. Secondly, mussels can make it from fridge to the table in 15 minutes flat. And finally, the deliberate process of eating them – taking each one from the pot sitting in the center of the table, pulling the meat from the shell and dipping it into the flavorful sauce it was cooked in – slows a meal down so that your family can enjoy each other’s company as much as they enjoy the mussels. Read more about cooking steamed mussels here.
| 2 lb. fresh mussels | |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil | |
| 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced | |
| 1 (14-ounce) can of lite coconut milk | |
| 1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped into 1-inch pieces | |
| 2 tsp. grated ginger | |
| Red chili pepper flakes (optional) | |
| 1 cup frozen green beans | |
| 1 lime | |
| 2 Tbsp. chopped herbs such as cilantro and/or basil | |
| Crusty bread for serving |
Recipe developed by Barton Seaver
| 1. | Check to make sure all of the mussels are tightly closed. Discard any that do not close when you gently tap them on the counter. |
| 2. | Pull off any beards that may be peaking out of the shells. Rinse whole mussels under cold water to remove any grit. Pat dry. |
| 3. | In a large pot with a lid, heat oil over medium high heat. |
| 4. | Add onions and sauté them for 2-3 minutes until they soften. |
| 5. | Add mussels, coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, chili flakes (if using), and green beans. |
| 6. | Cover and cook until the mussels have all opened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened. |
| 7. | Cut the lime in half and squeeze its juice over the mussels and scatter the herbs on top. |
| 8. | Serve immediately with crusty bread. |
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply