Thai Curry Mussels

Thai curry mussels are popping up on menus all over the place these days, but I feel like I’m always disappointed when I order them. They’re never spicy enough! Last weekend I made my own using some panang curry paste and coconut milk. I probably would have normally used red curry paste, but I had a half can of the Panang in the refrigerator that needed to be used. If this weren’t a last minute creation, I also would have topped with some cilantro instead of the chives I already had. It was still delicious though, and plenty spicy :)

Thai Curry Mussels

½ c. onion, chopped
1 small clove of garlic, minced
Vegetable oil
1 ½ tbsp. Thai Panang curry paste
1 ¼ c. light coconut milk
¼ tsp. fish sauce
1 lb. mussels, cleaned
Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Making the sauce was really simple. I just sweat the onions in some vegetable oil and added the garlic when the onions started to soften. Then, I added the curry paste and stir fried for a minute or so until it was very fragrant. Then, I added the coconut milk and fish sauce. After bringing that to a simmer, I added the mussels and cooked until they opened (discarding any that didn’t). They were very saucy, so we ate them with a big hunk of bread for dipping.