After a recent foray onto Hillhead Shingle bank at Low water I found meself with a tidy stash of Fresh Sea Mussels to get through, so todays lunch was sorted followed by the Noodle Soup.
I enjoy a tangy Asian blend sauce with these as it adds a sweet and sour flavour to the Shellfish plus it provides enough sauce to make a hot and warming bowl of Noodle soup to follow.
Ingredients
1lb Fresh Mussels scrubbed well,dont panic if a few barnicles insist on hanging on for dear life,they aint killed me yet.!!!!
1/2 pint of Chicken Stock
1 Stalk of Lemon Grass,chopped fine
100ml White Wine
1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 to 2 Fresh Red Chillies chopped small
3 Tbsp Oyster Sauce(or fish sauce)
1Tbsp Brown Sugar
Handful of Chopped Coriander
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 inch cube of Grated Ginger
1 Large Tomato chopped small
1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
2 Shallots Chopped Small
Few Sprigs of Mint Leaves Chopped small
2 Fresh Lemons
2 Tsps Corn Flour mixed to a soft paste with tap water.
Olive Oil
In a large pot Sweat off the Shallots for 5 mins then lower the heat and add the Garlic and Ginger for a further 3 mins,Pore the Chicken stock in the pot and bring to a boil for 5 mins.
Add the minced Lemon Grass and lower heat to medium for 3 mins.
Now add the wine,Vinegar,Chillies,Oyster Sauce,Chopped Tomato,Tomato Puree,Sugar and Handful of Chopped Coriander and the mint leaves...bring together with a spoon.
Bring to a gentle boil and add Mussels and stir contents of pot,cover tightly with lid for 2 to 3 mins.
Remove lid and check if all mussels have opened,move Mussels to one side and blend in corn flour mixture to sauce and stir together,return lid to pot for 1 minute longer.
Remove any and all Mussels that have not fully opened,now check sauce for sweet and sour flavour,add More Sugar,Oyster sauce,or Chilli and stir pot well to adjust flavour to how you like it
Shake a good handful of Chopped Coriander over and chopped chilli to taste.
Serve with Crusty Bread and Lemon Wedges.
As I always have quite a bit of sauce left over it makes a tasty Noodle soup.
Bowl of Sauce,Udon Noodles and Cooked Prawns and Chopped Spring Onions.
Simply Boil Udon Noodles for 7 mins till soft and add to re heated sauce, poke cooked prawns under sauce to warm them through
and add chopped spring onions for crunch.
Enjoy Both
Gazza
