Cambodian-style aromatic mussels

Cambodian or Khmer cuisine is among the oldest influences from ancient Khmer cooking, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. Freshness and aromatic complexity are defining features – along with the balancing of salty, sweet, sour and bitter elements, with umami depth added through fermentation. Primarily a rice-based cuisine, Cambodian food is heavy with flavours of garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, makrut lime and ginger, along with prahok (fermented fish paste) and kapi (shrimp paste). Herbs like thai basil, coriander and mint are used in abundance, as is the signature spice of the cuisine – black kampot pepper (a mixture of green and black peppercorns is a good alternative). Star anise, cinnamon and cardamom also feature often, with sweet and acidic elements added through palm sugar, tamarind, lime and vinegar.

This recipe for Cambodian-style mussels plays with the flavours of the region, layering them into the dish in many ways – firstly with an aromatic paste that adds fragrant depth; secondly by combining whole and ground spices for complexity with lots of obligatory peppercorns; thirdly by adding in coconut milk for richness; fourthly with fish sauce for umami savouriness; and lastly with limes for sour tang and fresh aromatic herbs for vibrant freshness.

To try a taste of Cambodian food yourself, head to chef Kaneda Pen’s Mamapen at Sun & 13 Cantons in Soho, an exciting beacon of Cambodian cuisine in London. The menu includes dishes like panko pork toast with drunken master XO, sour pineapple curry and Khmer BBQ chicken with shaoxing teriyaki glaze and tuk trey koh kong. In Philadelphia, USA, Mawn is a Cambodian noodle bar that is one of the hottest restaurants in America right now, while, in San Francisco, Lunette is another exciting bastion of Cambodian cuisine. To cook Cambodian at home, check out the new cookbook My Cambodia: A Khmer Cookbook by Nite Yun.

Cambodian-style aromatic mussels recipe