Thai Style Mussels and Clams

Thai Style Mussels and Clams

Using a saucepan or a dutch oven on the Big Green Egg is an excellent way of adding a little smoke and theatre to dishes you’d normally only cook on a hob. I’ve cooked this Thai Style Mussels dish several times at Big Green Egg demos and it goes down extremely well with people willing to give shellfish a go. Having said that I’m amazed at how many people just won’t even try mussels.

For this recipe,  I also used some beautiful New Zealand clams because I could, this is great with just mussels though.

Thai Style Mussels combines the saltiness of the sea with the  five flavour components of thai cooking:  sweet, sour, salty, spicy and umami.  It’s a match made in heaven.

Cooking surfaces

Dutch Oven
Cast Iron Grid

BBQ Temperature

200°C

INGREDIENTS

  • 1kg mussels, de-bearded
  • 500g clams
  • 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 stick of lemongrass, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli (add more if you want it really fiery)
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • 5 -6 leaves of Thai basil
  • Fresh coriander to garnish

Equipment

Method

    • Set up your Egg to cook at 180°C in a direct configuration with the stainless grid.
    • Preheat your Dutch Oven or pan with the groundnut oil.
    • Throw in the shallot, garlic, chilli, ginger and lemongrass and sauté for about 5 mins until the shallot is tender.
    • Add you mussels, clams, palm sugar and half of your coconut milk. Cook for about 3-4 mins until the mussels and clams have opened.
    • Now add the fish sauce and squeeze in the juice of a lime.
    • Add the thai basil and coriander and stir through, taking off the Egg.
    • Serve with some crusty bread.
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