Recipe for Thai Mussels

Serves 4.

2 kg (4½ lb) mussels, cleaned, broken and unopened shells discarded

1 red onion

3 garlic cloves

1 small unwaxed lemon

2 red bird’s eye chillies

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)

200 ml (7 fl oz) coconut cream

Freshly milled black pepper

50 g (2 oz) bunch of coriander

Leave the mussels in a colander to finish draining while you prepare the broth.

Peel, halve and finely chop the onion and garlic. Using a zester or potato peeler, remove the zest from the lemon in wafer-thin strips. Chop quite small. Trim and split the chillies, scrape away the seeds, slice into thin strips and then across into tiny scraps – don’t forget to wash your hands to remove the chilli juices that will burn eyes and other sensitive parts.

Heat the oil in a large pan with a good-fitting lid. Stir in the onion, lemon zest, garlic and chilli and cook, adjusting the heat so nothing burns, for 6-7 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the nam pla, coconut cream and juice from half the lemon. Season generously with black pepper. Chop the coriander, including the stalks, which should be sliced very finely. Add the stalk half of the coriander to the pan. Simmer for a couple of minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning with lemon juice.

Tip the drained mussels into the pan, stir a couple of times with a wooden spoon, clamp on the lid and cook at a high heat for 5 minutes.

Lift off the lid, have a look to see if the mussels are opening — it doesn’t take long — and give the pan a good shake or another stir, trying to bring the already opened mussels on the bottom to the top. Replace the lid and cook for a few more minutes.

Check again that all the mussels are open, returning the lid for a couple more minutes if necessary, add the rest of the coriander, give a final stir and then tip the contents of the pan into a warmed bowl. Do not eat any mussels which haven’t opened.