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Cambodian-style mussels

• Gurdeep Loyal

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Serves 4

Easy

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 12 mins

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Seasonal mussels get an aromatic Cambodian twist in Gurdeep Loyal's latest on-trend recipe

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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

Ingredients

Nutrition

• 1.75kg fresh mussels

• 2 tbsp black peppercorns

• 1 tbsp green peppercorns

• 2 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1 large star anise

• 4 garlic cloves

• 40g galangal

  or ginger

• 30g (about 2 stalks) lemongrass

  roughly chopped

• 4 large fresh lime leaves

• 1 large red chilli

• 2 tsp ground turmeric

• 1½ tsp coconut oil

• 1 large onion

  diced

• 400ml tin of coconut milk

• 2 tbsp fish sauce

• 2 tbsp palm sugar

  or brown sugar

• 2 large limes

  zested and juiced

• 20g thai basil

  or mint, chopped, to garnish

• steamed rice or crusty baguette

  to serve

Nutrition: per serving

• kcal420
• fat24g
• saturates19g
• carbs22g
• sugars16g
• fibre4g
• protein26g
• salt5.7g

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Method

• step 1

  Sort through the mussels, discarding any that are cracked or that don’t close when tapped. Wash and remove any overhanging beards.

• step 2

  Put half the black and green peppercorns, and half of the coriander seeds in a grinder with the star anise. Blitz to a fine powder.

• step 3

  Next make the aromatic paste. Blitz the garlic, galangal (or ginger), lemongrass, lime leaves, chilli, turmeric and a large splash of water in a small blender or food processor to a very fine paste, adding a little more water if needed.

• step 4

  Put 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large deep pan, then fry the onion with a pinch for salt for 3-4 mins. Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil, then the spice powder, frying for 1 min, being careful it doesn’t burn. Add in the aromatic paste and fry for 2-3 mins, adding a splash of water if it gets too dry.

• step 5

  Stir through the mussels, coating them in the paste. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, 2 tsp of salt and the remaining black and green peppercorns, and coriander seeds. Mix well, then cover with a lid and cook for 5-6 mins until the mussels have all opened.

• step 6

  Shake well with the lid on, then remove the lid and cook for another 2 mins. Stir through the lime zest and juice, then check for seasoning, adding more salt or sugar if needed. Discard any mussels that have not opened during cooking. Garnish with thai basil or mint and serve with warm rice or a crusty baguette.

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Authors

Gurdeep Loyal

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