INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup dry white wine
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
    • 1 stalk fresh lemongrass* (lower 6 inches only), outer leaves discarded and root ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 3 teaspoons green curry paste from a jar
    • 1 1/2 pounds fresh black mussels scrubbed well in several changes of water and beards pulled off
    • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion
    • 1 tablespoons butter

Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro and serve with crunchy toasted bread to soak up the delicious sauce!

PREPARATION

In a 5- to 6-quart heavy kettle bring wine and cream to a boil with garlic, shallot, lemongrass, and curry.  Add mussels and cook, covered, over moderately high heat 4 to 6 minutes, or until opened, discarding any unopened ones and lemongrass. Using a slotted spoon divide mussels among bowls.

Add scallion, butter, salt and pepper (to taste) to remaining liquid in pot, stirring until butter is incorporated, and spoon over mussels. Keep pouring the liquid over mussels regularly until you serve them to ensure they do not get dry.  If you are not eating them right away, just set cooked mussels aside until your sauce is ready and then add them back into the pot until ready to eat.

*This dish is inspired by mussels I enjoyed this summer at a friend’s house who also added Kaffir Lime Leaves, but they are hard to find.  You can substitute other citrus leaves. You can also use either lemon thyme or lemon verbena together with lime zest or even bay leaf with lime zest!