These mussels in a Thai coconut sauce with samphire are a real treat – you will want to drink the broth!
Mussels are delicious to eat and easier to prepare than you might think too. Just give them a tap to make sure they’re alive, clean them up and throw them into your hot broth – they’ll be cooked in just a few minutes.
The joy of this Thai broth is that you can make it in advance (and even freeze it). Just bring it to a gentle boil before adding the mussels, samphire and fresh herbs. Perfect for if you have guests coming over for dinner!
The Ingredients
- Shallots, garlic, chilli, lemongrass – these are the base flavours for your broth. If you love spice, you can add extra chilli. Although you can sub the shallots for a standard onion, it won’t have the same sweetness.
- Coconut milk – use a full fat version, not a reduced fat version.
- Vegetable stock – or water and a vegetable stock cube. You could also use fish stock.
- Fish sauce – for depth of flavour.
- Palm sugar – you could switch for caster sugar if you don’t have palm sugar.
- Mussels – make sure your mussels are nice and fresh – best when you get them from a good fishmonger.
- Samphire – adds a hit of saltiness throughout.
- Basil, mint, coriander – these fresh herbs really lift the final dish and make it so fragrant.
Thai Coconut Mussels
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 red chilli
- 2 sticks lemongrass
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 600 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar
- 1 kilograms mussels
- 200 grams samphire
- 20 grams fresh mint
- 20 grams fresh basil
- 20 grams fresh coriander
Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic. Finely chop the chilli. Bruise the lemongrass with your knife but keep whole.
- Put the vegetable oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, chilli and lemongrass. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add the stock and coconut milk, along with the fish sauce and palm sugar. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Prepare your mussels. Tap any open mussels with your fingers. If they don’t close, discard them. Clean your mussels under fresh running water.
- Tip the mussels and samphire into your broth. Put a lid on and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the mussels have opened. Add the finely chopped basil, mint and coriander and serve immediately.
Video
More Fish and Seafood Recipes
If you enjoy cooking fish at home, you’ll find plenty more inspiration in my fish and seafood recipes collection. Fish is brilliant for weeknight dinners – it cooks quickly, feels light and fresh, and can be packed with flavour.
Try some of the most popular recipes from the site:
- Pan Fried Sea Bass with Olive Linguine – crisp-skinned sea bass served with a punchy olive pasta. Simple but incredibly satisfying.
- Asian Style Whole Baked Black Tilapia – a fragrant oven-baked fish with bold Asian flavours.
- Lightly Smoked Salmon with Crushed New Potatoes and Mustard Cabbage – a fresh, elegant dish that works beautifully for lunch or dinner.
- Baked Cod with Creamy Chorizo Beans – flaky cod served with rich, smoky beans. A proper flavour-packed dinner.
If you’re looking for easy fish dinners for tonight, these recipes are a great place to start.
Rich, delicious and luxurious mussels with minimal effort – you will love these