Supu ya Kome
Coconut Mussel Soup
Ten minutes of cooking and a broth worth mopping up with bread. Mussels make their own stock as they open, which does most of the work for you.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg mussels, scrubbed and bearded
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 thumb ginger, grated
- 2 green chillies, split
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Juice of 1 lime
- Fresh coriander
- Salt
- Oil
- Bread to serve
Method
- Scrub the mussels and pull off the beards. Throw away any that are open and will not close when you tap them.
- Fry the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli gently until soft — five minutes, no colour.
- Add turmeric, stir, then pour in the coconut milk and bring to a bare simmer.
- Tip in the mussels and put the lid on. Five to six minutes, shaking the pot once.
- They are ready when the shells have opened. Discard any that stayed shut.
- Lime, coriander, and bread for the broth — which is the best part.
Tips from the counter
- An unopened mussel after cooking should be thrown away, not forced.
- Clams work the same way but need purging first: an hour in cold salted water and they spit out their sand.
- Do not add salt until the end. Mussels bring their own seawater.
