Dinner Tonight: Steamed Mussels in Coconut Milk Recipe

By
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a food critic at the Chicago Tribune.  His food writing appears in The Washington Post, Newsweek, Epicurious, Baltimore Sun, Serious Eats, Grub Street, New York Magazine, and Tasting Table, among others.
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Updated August 09, 2018

My mussel consumption has fallen drastically since I moved away from the East Coast. What used to be a dinner at least two to three times a month has now turned into something I only eat two to three times a year. It's kind of sad. Most of that has to do with the price of mussels in Illinois. They're now moderately expensive instead being impossibly cheap. Plus, it's hard to know when they're fresh. Luckily, I was tipped off by a fellow Chicago blogger, Blue Kitchen, who had a picked up a bag for a decent price and made a delicious batch of Mussels in Tarragon Cream Sauce.

My usual method has been to bathe them in wine and maybe a few herbs, but as I was rummaging through my pantry I came across a can of coconut milk. A few moments later I had this recipe from the Splendid Table. It's highly aromatic, with a base of turmeric, coriander, ginger, and a spike of cayenne. The sautéed onions lend a pleasant sweetness to the affair. The coconut milk lusciously coats the bivalves, and, as is mandatory with a pot of mussels, it's good enough to slurp.

Steamed Mussels in Coconut Milk

Recipe Details

Dinner Tonight: Steamed Mussels in Coconut Milk Recipe

Cook 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 2 to 3 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon ginger, minced

  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2 cups canned coconut milk

  • 3 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • Handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

  1. Pour the oil into a large pot over medium high heat. Toss in the onions and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the coriander, turmeric, and cayenne and cook for another minute, again stirring often.

  2. Pour in the coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and then add the mussels and the salt. Stir until the mussels are well coated in the sauce. Cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until the mussels have opened up. Any ones that have not opened up by then should be discarded.

  3. Remove the pot from heat and add the lemon juice and cilantro. Spoon the mussels and the sauce into bowls and serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
689Calories
56gFat
21gCarbs
31gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories689
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 56g72%
Saturated Fat 31g154%
Cholesterol 63mg21%
Sodium 971mg42%
Total Carbohydrate 21g7%
Dietary Fiber 2g6%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 21mg107%
Calcium 92mg7%
Iron 13mg74%
Potassium 785mg17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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