Mussels with Chili, Coconut, and Coriander

Loving Australian Sea Food

On a recent road trip through Australia, I stayed in a beautiful town called Batemans Bay, located on the South Coast of New South Wales. This town is ideal for water sports such as snorkeling and kayaking, and is also famous for its seafood, such as oysters harvested from the nearby Clyde River. Whether you are a fisherman or a gourmande, you can also enjoy mussels, snapper, kingfish, and salmon!

Batemans Bay, New South Wales

One of the dishes I tasted at Batemans Bay was Mussels with Chili, Coconut, and Coriander. I sometimes find that mussel dishes are a bit too salty, but this dish offered an ideal combination of sweet, citrus, and slightly spicy flavors. I was able to recreate this dish at home and happy to say that it was a success!

The Method:

The key to this dish is getting the perfect flavor combination for the sauce. First, chopped garlic and red chili are lightly sauteed in oil (I used a long red chili). Then passata, coconut cream, chicken stock, and lime juice are added to make a rich sauce. Place the fresh mussels in a large bowl and toss with chopped coriander and more chili.

Place the mussels in the pan with the sauce; cover with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes until the mussels open. After opening, the mussels will be infused with all the flavors of the sauce, plus the chili and coriander garnish.

Plating Up

To plate up, place some of the sauce on the bottom of a bowl, then add the mussels, then some more coriander garnish on top. And don’t forget to serve the dish with some bread or toast to soak up the sauce!