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Curried Mussels in White Ale

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Curried Mussels in White Ale

  • fast FAST
ACTIVE TIME: 25 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
SERVES: 4
"I first made these mussels for Thanksgiving two years ago," says Yoon. "I don’t make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner—I cook outside the box and call it Sangsgiving ABT (Anything But Turkey). The mussels were such a hit, I put them on the menu at Father’s Office." Adding creamy white ale to the intense curry broth helps mellow the flavors. But for pairing, Yoon favors a beer with more malty depth, like the Russian River Brewing Company’s Damnation ale.
ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 large fresh lemongrass stalk, bottom two-thirds of the inner bulb only, smashed and chopped
  • 2/3 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
  • One 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, plus 1/4 cup chopped basil
  • Two 12-ounce bottles Belgian-style white ale
  • 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
directions
  1. In a saucepan, heat the oil. Add the red curry paste, garlic, ginger and lemongrass and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the mirin, coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce and basil leaves and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Strain the red curry sauce into a bowl.
  2. In a saucepan, bring the ale to a boil. Add the mussels, cover and cook over high heat, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to 4 bowls, discarding any that don’t open. Add the red curry sauce to the ale and boil for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the mussels, sprinkle with the chopped basil and cilantro and serve.
Recipe by Sang Yoon
From The Keg vs. The Cork in Sonoma
This recipe originally appeared in June, 2007.