MUSSELS WITH RED CURRY BROTH AND LEMONGRASS

Serves: 6 as a main course

4 lb (1.8 kg) mussels, rinsed and debearded

2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil

1 tbsp (15 mL) toasted sesame oil

3 shallots, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 stalk lemongrass, top and bottom trimmed and outer leaves discarded; bottom third of stalk thinly sliced

8 oz (226 g) sweet Italian pork sausage (if cased, removed from casing)

1 large yellow onion, julienned

5 tbsp (75 mL) prepared Thai red curry paste

1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine

2 cups (500 mL) fish or shellfish stock

3 tbsp (45 mL) fish sauce

1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce

2 tbsp (30 mL) gochujang (Korean chili paste)

3 tbsp (45 mL) shoyu (white soy sauce)

1 tbsp (15 mL) honey 2 (14-oz/440-mL) cans full-fat unsweetened coconut milk

Kosher salt

Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Baguette or crusty bread, for serving

1. Pick through the mussels and discard any that have open shells.

2. In a large high-sided skillet or pot, heat the canola and sesame oils over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic and lemongrass, and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and onion and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the chunks of sausage as it cooks, until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the curry paste, then pour in the wine and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock, fish sauce, oyster sauce, gochujang, shoyu and honey. Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine, then season to taste with salt and add the mussels. Cover the pot and cook until the flavours have married and all the mussel shells have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.

4. Divide the mussels in six serving bowls. Pour the liquid from the pot over each dish and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately with a crusty baguette alongside to sop up the juices.