Thai Chili & Coconut Milk Steamed Mussels

So much flavor and so little clean-up!
Creamy, spicy, slightly tart and just downright delicious.

Thai Chili & Coconut Milk Steamed Mussels

Yield: 4 Servings
Time: Approximately 20 minutes

Ingredients:
5 # mussels
4 garlic cloves
2 thai chilis
one 2 inch piece of fresh ginger
1 cup cilantro leaves
finely grated zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
two 13.5 ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
juice of 2 limes
salt
one 11 or 12 ounce bottle lager

Preparation:
Rinse mussels with ice cold water to remove any potential grit.

Add garlic, chilis, ginger, cilantro, lime zest, olive oil, coconut milk, and lime juice to your blender or food processor. Process to a paste then season with salt.

In a large pot, bring lager to a boil over high heat. Reduce to 1/2 cup, which should take about 7 minutes. Add mussels, cover and cook, shaking the pot periodically, until the mussels begin to open, about 4 minutes.

Stir coconut milk mixture into the pot. Cover and cook for about 8 more minutes, shaking occasionally, until all mussels have opened up. Spoon mussels and broth into bowls and serve.