• Courtesy of PE’s restaurateur legends, the Gunston brothers, this Thai mussels with fresh lemongrass and crusty ciabatta recipe should be a cornerstone of your seafood cooing! Easy to follow and deliciously simple, this is perfect seafood comfort.

    Recipe by Jono Gunston

    Photograph by David Dettman 

    Thai mussels with fresh lemongrass and crusty ciabatta

    Serves: Serves 4 – 6
    Cooking Time: 30 mins

    Ingredients

    • 150g butter
    • 1 large brown onion, peeled
    • and chopped
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh garlic, grated
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh ginger, grated
    • 2kg mussels in shells (live if
    • possible), cleaned and bearded;
    • do not remove from shells
    • 10ml (2 tsp) ground turmeric
    • 10ml (2 tsp) ground coriander
    • 2 stalks fresh lemongrass
    • 35ml store-bought red Thai paste
    • 600ml coconut milk
    • 150ml fish stock
    • 25ml fish sauce
    • To serve

    • 2 red chillies, sliced
    • zest of 1 orange
    • 20g fresh coriander, chopped
    • 1 loaf artisan ciabatta, sliced

    Instructions

    1

    Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed, large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and sauté, 2 minutes, until translucent.

    2

    Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and simmer over gentle heat, 4 – 8 minutes or until the mussels have opened (discard any mussels that do not open).

    3

    Transfer the mussels to serving bowls and garnish with the fresh red chillies, orange zest and fresh coriander. Serve with warm artisan crusty ciabatta.

    Notes

    Cook's tip: If you’re unable to find fresh mussels from your fishmonger, frozen mussels will do.