Mussels with Red Curry Broth and Lemongrass

Homegrown
May 21, 2018

4pounds mussels, rinsed and debearded
2 tablespoons canola oil
1tablespoontoasted sesame oil
3shallots, thinly sliced
4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1stalklemongrass, top and bottom trimmed and outer leaves discarded; bottom third of of stalk thinly sliced
8ouncessweet Italian pork sausage(if cased, remove from casing)
1large yellow onion, julienned
5tablespoons prepared Thai red curry paste
1cup dry white wine
2cupsfish or shellfish stock
3tablespoonsfish sauce
1tablespoonoyster sauce
2tablespoonsgochujang(Korean chile paste)
3tablespoons shoyu (White soy sauce)
1tablespoon honey
2(14-ounce)cans full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
Kosher salt
cilantro leaves, for garnish
Baguette or crusty bread, for serving

Pick through the mussels and discard any that have open shells.
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. 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 flavors have married and all the mussel shells have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.
Divide the mussels among 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.