Thai Mussel Soup on the fire

Soup in summer? Well, when I have my toes dipped in the swimming pool, an iced fruity drink in my hand, while my potjie pot is billowing fumes of lemongrass, garlic and the salty smell of seafood, I’m a happy chappie. Top it all off with the creaminess of coconut milk and I could fool myself into thinking I am in a tropical seaside paradise. Lazy summer days…

Ingredients

1kg mussels (fresh or frozen)

2 stalks of lemongrass, chopped

Handful of fresh chives

2 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tin of coconut milk

250ml full cream milk (optional depending on your preferred consistency of the soup)

1 lemon (juice of half lemon and lemon zest)

2 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

Fish sauce to taste (I use 1 tsp)

Salt & Pepper to taste

The coals shouldn’t be too hot for this. I would say, there should be just enough heat to get the coconut milk to bubble slightly. Once your pot has heated up, add your coconut or olive oil. Add your garlic and allow to brown slightly, but not burn, before adding your ginger, lemon grass and half of the chives. Stir fry slightly, tossing as it cooks to release the flavour for about 30 seconds to a minute, then add your coconut milk. When the milk starts to bubble, add your fish sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper according to taste. Once you have the desired flavour, add your mussels and allow to cook for 3 to 5 minutes. If you do not have enough liquid in the pot, you can now also add the additional milk or more coconut milk. Remove from the heat and garnish with grated lemon zest and the remainder of the chives for a fresh burst of flavour. Serve with braai-roasted garlic and herb bread.

And that’s it, gorgeous weather, chilled toes and a happy tummy.