Mussels have been a restaurant go-to of mine for a long time now! Living with food allergies can be challenging when it comes to eating out – especially since so many people love Italian (read: wheat and cheese). However most of the time there’s a mussel dish on the menu, and usually it’s in a simple tomato or wine sauce (although my favourite is thai curry mussels – hence the recipe below!). Add a side salad, or a side of fries if you’re into that (who isn’t?!), and boom – a naturally grain & dairy free meal. Bonus is they’re usually on the appetizer section of the menu so end up being much more reasonably priced than the entrees!
So why would we want to eat mussels? Well aside from being delicious, they’re incredibly nutrient dense. Any time we eat the entire animal, we end up eating the organs, and since so many people these days are adverse to eating things like liver, kidney or heart, eating a whole-animal in the form of shellfish gets all that organy-goodness into you, without you even knowing it! (although you know it now, so try to forget it if that knowledge skeeves you out!)
Shellfish are a mineral powerhouse, specifically when it comes to the thyroid-supporting minerals iodine and selenium, which tend to be quite low in a Standard North American Diet. Seafood is also a highly bioavailable protein that tends to be easier to digest, so if you have a weak, damaged or irritated digestive tract – or if you’re transitioning to animal proteins after avoiding them for any length of time – seafood is a great place to start. Seafood is also high in the protein glycine (also found in bone broth) which is important for supporting connective tissue in the body (ie. healing leaky gut, joints, skin and other membranes!).
Now, when it comes to actually preparing mussels at home, it’s not as straight-forward as say, baking chicken or grilling a burger. But it’s also incredibly simple – I promise! You just need to learn how, which you can below!
Red Curry Mussels
Ingredients
- 4 lbs mussels, debearded
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (or other fat)
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
- 1 tbsp red curry paste (I like Aroy D brand)
- 2 cups broth (homemade is best!)
- 2 cups water
- sea salt (omit if using store-bought broth)
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk (I like Aroy D brand)
- chopped cilantro, for garnish
Step 1 – Make sure all of the mussels are fully debearded. To do this, hold the mussel under running water and rinse off any debris. If there is gunk coming out from the inside of the mussel, gently pull on it until it releases and discard.
Step 2 – At the same time as you are debearding, take note of any mussels that are not firmly closed. If slightly open, knock on it, if it is still alive it should close in response to the knocking. If it remains open, discard – you do not want to eat a dead mussel!
Step 3 – Once all of the mussels are debearded, set them aside. Heat coconut oil over medium high and sauté onions for about 5 minutes.
Step 4 – Add garlic, ginger and curry paste and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
Step 5 – Add broth, water and sea salt (if using), bring to a simmer.
Step 6 – Add in mussels, cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes.
Most, if not all, of the mussels should open up. Discard any that do not.
Step 7 – Stir in coconut milk, heat through and serve topped with cilantro. Enjoy with a side salad and sweet potato fries to dip into any extra broth!
- 4 lbs mussels, debearded
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
- 1 tbsp red curry paste
- 2 cups broth (homemade is best!)
- 2 cups water
- sea salt (omit if using store-bought broth)
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- chopped cilantro, for garnish
- 1. Make sure all of the mussels are fully debearded. To do this, hold the mussel under running water and rinse off any debris. If there is gunk coming out from the inside of the mussel, gently pull on it until it releases and discard.
- 2. At the same time as you are debearding, take note of any mussels that are not firmly closed. If slightly open, knock on it, if it is still alive it should close in response to the knocking. If it remains open, discard - you do not want to eat a dead mussel!
- 3. Once all of the mussels are debearded, set them aside. Heat coconut oil over medium high and sauté onions for about 5 minutes.
- 4. Add garlic, ginger and curry paste and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- 5. Add broth, water and sea salt (if using), bring to a simmer.
- 6. Add in mussels, cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes. Most, if not all, of the mussels should open up. Discard any that do not.
- 7. Stir in coconut milk, heat through and serve topped with cilantro.
- My favourite brand of coconut milk and thai curry paste is Aroy D. It can be found at international or Asian supermarkets, or sometimes in the international aisle of a major grocery chain.
