Mussels with Garlic and Basil (Hoi Ma Laeng Poo)

Heh heh. He said 'poo'.

But seriously folks, this is a simple Thai dish that will leave you wanting more. Or not, especially if you give yourself 1 kg of mussels to polish off between two people.

The thing about mussels that ALWAYS fascinates me, is the pure simplicity of it. Mussels recipes almost never have a ton of ingredients in them, but always deliver MASSIVELY on flavor. Case in point: these mussels.

This comes from a cookbook called "Savoring Southeast Asia" which is a Williams-Sonoma cookbook that was given to me as a birthday gift some time ago. Everything we have made out of it so far as been a winner and this is another to add to the list.

We lucked out in that the mussels we got were ALL alive. That NEVER happens. And they gave up so much of their yummy liquor to the broth - amazing. With the fish sauce, you won't even need salt. This one just takes care of itself.

½ teaspoon peppercorns
2 red jalapeno or serrano chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, quartered
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded just before cooking
¼ cup chicken stock
½ teaspoon sugar
½ cup Thai basil leaves
cilantro

In a mortar, pound the peppercorns until crushed, then add the chiles, garlic, and coriander roots or stems and pound or grind until a rough paste forms.

Preheat a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is hot, add the chile paste and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the oyster sauce and fish sauce. Add the mussels, discarding any that fail to close to the touch, and stir and toss with the sauce to mix. Add the stock and sugar, then cover and cook until the mussels open, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with fish sauce.

Toss in the basil leaves and cook only until they begin to wilt. Transfer the mussels to a platter, discarding any that failed to open, and garnish with the coriander leaves.