If you want a very quick tasty dinner this is the answer. This dinner takes under 10 minutes including the prep time. I love how you get a hit of ginger, garlic and herbs in every other mouthful. The mussels were Cornish from our fishmonger and cost all of £4 and were so much plumper and juicier than the supermarket ones. You get left with a coconut soup so it is so nice to dip in the crusty bread and soak up those lovely thai flavours. Also if you have been wanting to try mussels and you like asian flavours it really is a good introduction rather than the traditional moule marinière .

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped
• 5cm/2in piece  ginger, peeled, chopped
• 2 fresh lime leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 onion, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• glug of rapeseed oil
• 500g mussels, beards removed, cleaned (discard any mussels that do not close tightly when tapped gently)
• 400ml tin coconut milk
• 1 lime, juice only
• 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, coriander or basil
• crusty bread to serve

Method

1. In a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic, ginger, lime leaves, onion, palm sugar, fish sauce and  oil  to a paste.
2. Heat a lidded wok over a high heat and fry the paste for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Add the mussels and coconut milk, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the mussels have opened. (Discard any mussels with shells that have not completely opened.)
4. To serve stir the lime juice and fresh herbs into the mussels. Spoon the mussels into each of 2 serving bowls and serve with an empty bowl for shells and crusty bread.