Breaking the 'R' Rule: Indulging in Green Thai Curry Mussels Regardless of the Month

There are rules in cooking, and then there are rules that I'm not entirely convinced we need to follow ...

Take the old advice that you should only eat mussels and other shellfish in months containing the letter ‘R’. It's a tradition rooted in a time before modern refrigeration and reliable shellfish farming, but I'm not one to let a calendar dictate what I'm having for supper.

Especially when supper looks like a steaming bowl of mussels swimming in a fragrant, spicy green Thai curry.

This is my kind of kitchen shortcut. By starting with a pack of ready-prepared garlic butter mussels, we can let somebody else do a little of the hard work while we concentrate on building a deliciously aromatic coconut curry around them. The result is rich, fragrant and full of flavour, with that wonderful combination of sweet coconut, punchy green curry paste, salty fish sauce and fresh herbs. It's the sort of dish that feels a little bit special without requiring hours in the kitchen.

So, if you've been waiting for the calendar to give you permission to eat mussels, consider this your invitation to ignore it. Just make sure you're buying good-quality mussels from a reliable source and following the cooking instructions on the pack ... Now, where's my big bowl and a piece of bread for that sauce?

Whipping Up Green Thai Curry Mussels

In reality, we are now lucky enough in todays market to be able to eat mussels year round, especially as we are taking a speedy short cut using a pack of ready prepared supermarket Garlic butter mussels ... And anyway, there's something about breaking the rules with food that makes it taste all the better .. Want to break the 'R' rule in style? Then a fragrant pot of Green Thai Curry Mussels is the perfect dish, decadently combining the essence of Thai flavours with fresh mussels. Eating mussels in a rich green Thai curry is an incredible experience. The natural brininess of the mussels blends beautifully with the creaminess of the coconut and the complex spices. This combination hits all the right notes ... sweet, savoury, and spicy, perfectly complemented by the herbs.

Green Thai Curry Mussels - The Recipe

• 1 pack ready-prepared garlic butter mussels

• 1 tin coconut milk

• 50g green Thai curry paste

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 2 tbsp finely chopped palm sugar

• 1½–2 tbsp fish sauce

• 3–4 kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn

• Tender stem broccoli

• Pak-choi

• Green beans

• Fresh coriander

• Fresh red chilli, sliced

  
  

Method

1. Sauté the green curry paste over a medium heat for around 2 minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant. Add a splash of coconut milk if it starts sticking.

   
   

2. Add the lime leaves, chicken stock, remaining coconut milk, palm sugar and 1 tbsp fish sauce. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

   
   

3. Meanwhile, prepare the mussels according to the packet instructions.

   
   

4. Add the tender stem broccoli and green beans to the curry sauce, allowing them time to cook while retaining a little bite.

   
   

5. Add the pak choi towards the end so it wilts without losing its freshness.

   
   

6. Taste the sauce and add the remaining fish sauce if needed.

   
   

7. Combine the curry sauce with the cooked mussels and their garlicky juices, following the packet instructions for safe handling. Garnish with fresh coriander and sliced red chilli, then serve immediately.