Dinner
Tom Kha and Aquavit Mussels
A Scandinavian-Thai original, mussels steamed in a tom kha broth of coconut milk, galangal, and lemongrass spiked with aquavit so the Scandinavian moules marinière tradition and the Thai aromatic soup base produce a broth where the caraway-dill botanicals of the spirit and the coconut-lime depth are structurally present and extraordinary together.
$13
15 minsPrep
15 minsCook
30 minsTotal
EasyLevel
Nutrition per serving
385Calories
38gProtein
16gFat
18gCarbs
5gSugar
2gFiber
780mgSodium
64mgChol
0gSat Fat
Goes well with
Aquavit
local
Thai Iced Tea
international
High Protein
Gluten-Free
Dairy-Free
fusion-kitchen
Instructions
1
Prep
Discard any mussels that are open and do not close when tapped firmly. Finely slice 2 shallots, 3 garlic cloves, 2 lemongrass stalks (white parts), 1.5 thumbs galangal, 1 small chilli. Tear 4 kaffir lime leaves. Measure aquavit, coconut milk, fish sauce, honey, lime juice, coriander, and basil.
2
Saute
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large lidded pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots, cook 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and chilli; stir 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
3
Build
Pour in aquavit, let sizzle 30 seconds without flaming. Stir to deglaze. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, and honey; stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 2 minutes.
4
Steam
Add 900g mussels to the pot, cover with lid, and steam over high heat 4–5 minutes, shaking the pot once halfway through, until all mussels open. Discard any that remain closed. Stir in lime juice over low heat.
5
Finish
Taste the broth—honey depth and coconut sweetness should register alongside aquavit botanicals. Scatter coriander and Thai basil over the top.
6
Plate
Ladle mussels and broth into two deep bowls and serve immediately with crusty baguette or rye bread and lime wedges.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 900g900g fresh mussels
- 1 tbsp1 tbsp neutral oil
- 22 shallots
- 3 cloves3 cloves garlic
- 22 stalks lemongrass
- 1.51.5 thumbs fresh galangal
- 44 kaffir lime leaves
- 11 small fresh red chilli
- 60ml60ml aquavit
- 300ml300ml coconut milk
- 1.5 tbsp1.5 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp2 tbsp lime juice
- 15g15g fresh coriander
- 10g10g fresh Thai basil
- lime wedges
- crusty baguette
