Thai green curry is so delicious. There's lots of ingredients but it's all very balanced and kinda addictive. I like all types of green curry like chicken or shrimp but this recipe is for mussels. Mussels are easy to make. Once you realize how easy there are to make, you may start making them again and again.
Cleaning the mussels and picking through and getting all of your ingredients ready takes more time than actually cooking the mussels. Cleaning and picking through the mussels are important to make sure you have the best and safest mussels. Mussels are sold alive and are cooked alive. It's important to take out any ones that have died during storage.
To clean the mussels you’ll want to check to see if there are any dead ones among the bunch. To see if any have gone bad, pick up any ones that look open. If they close when you press on them, they’re okay. If they don’t react, throw them out. If any are cracked, throw them out too. All the mussels left should be tightly closed. Scrub the shells to remove any debris or sand. If you find any mussels that look to have something like seaweed or unraveling rope on it, remove it with a sharp knife. That part is called the beard. The beard is needed to help the mussels attach themselves to items in the sea. You’ll want to remove them before cooking. Now your mussels are ready to cook. After cooking the mussels, if any don't open, discard them. They are bad ones too.
Now let's go back to this delicious broth. It is seriously one of the best broths out there. The mussels release their juices as they cook and flavor the broth as well. There are notes of umami throughout. Trust me. Squeeze a little lime juice over the broth right as you're serving this dish. It takes it to the next level.
I've gone to a cooking class in Thailand and found out that the broth in green curry is usually thicker than the American versions. There isn't as much broth added in and the broth is cooked down to concentrate those flavors. Since I was first introduced to green curry in America, that's the version I've grown accustomed to. It's the version that I have provided in the recipe below.
There are so many different brands of green curry paste. You can experiment with different brands to find the one that you like best. You'll want to add enough curry paste to this dish to build the flavors. Don't be hesitant because of the spice. If you don't like spice, you can leave out the chilies in this recipe. You can add an extra tablespoon of green curry paste if you do want to add additional heat to your dish.
Thai Green Curry Mussels
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 lbs Mussels, cleaned and picked through
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 in Ginger, minced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Shallot, minced
1 lemongrass stick, cut in half to fit in your pot
2 - 3 Tbsp Green Curry Paste, according to preference
1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar (or Raw Sugar)
1 Serrano chili, sliced thin
1 Red Chili, sliced thin
1 Tbsp Fish sauce
1 13.5 oz Can Coconut milk, unsweetened, shaken well
1/2 Cup Seafood stock (or clam juice)
8 oz green beans, trimmed
Cilantro, as garnish
Lime wedges, to serve
Steps
Thorough clean your mussels by discarding bad ones, scrubbing the shells, and removing the beards. (Detailed instructions are shown in the video above)
Heat oil in a large heavy bottom pot. Once heated, add in minced garlic, ginger, and shallots. Heat over medium heat until translucent and fragrant.
Beat the lemongrass with the back of a heavy knife to release the oils. Add prepared lemongrass to your pot.
Immediately add in curry paste, chilies, and coconut sugar. Heat for 1 minute until the spices become fragrant.
Add in fish sauce, coconut milk, and seafood stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Add in green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Taste your broth to see if any additional fish broth or seasonings need to be added to your broth. (It's much easier to correct at this stage).
Add in prepared mussels and close the pot with a tight fitting lid. Increase the heat to medium high. Shake the mussels around in your pot so that all the mussels have evenly cooked. Check your mussels after 1 minute to see if most have opened. If not, cover and check again in another 60 seconds. At this time, the mussels should mostly be opened and are ready. If you find any mussels that haven't opened, discard. Top with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve hot with Jasmine rice.