Mussels with Lemon Grass, Chili and Garlic

The mix of fish sauce, lemon grass and chili make for a sweet, salty and spicy flavour. It’s a simple and light recipe that rewards with a lot of flavour. From Food and Wine Magazine Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes. – Mia Stainsby 1 pound ( 454 g) black mussels 1 cup ( 250 mL) chicken stock 2 tablespoons ( 30 mL) oil 2 lemon grass stems, white part only, finely sliced ½ onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 bird’s eye chili, sliced 1 tablespoon ( 15 mL) oyster sauce 1 tablespoon ( 15 mL) Asian fish sauce 1 teaspoon ( 5 mL) potato or corn starch 2 teaspoons ( 10 mL) sugar ½ teaspoon ( 2 mL) salt ½ teaspoon ( 2 mL) black pepper 1 handful cilantro leaves ½ lemon Scrub and debeard the mussels, then set aside. In wok, over high heat, place the chicken stock and mussels, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes or until the mussels open. ( Discard any that do not open.) Strain the mussels, reserving the cooking liquid for later use. Put the wok back over medium heat, add the oil, and gently fry the lemon grass, onion, garlic and chili. Once golden, add the mussels and increase the heat. Toss with the oyster sauce and fish sauce, then add the ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Mix the starch with 1 tablespoon ( 15 mL) water and toss it with the mussels to thicken the sauce. Season the mussels with the sugar, salt and pepper; turn out onto a serving platter, garnish with the cilantro and squeeze the lemon over them. Makes 2 servings