[Lifestyle] Nigel Slater’s recipe for mussels with pak choi and chilli

[HiTLeR]

A quick and easy seafood treat with green leaves and spicy Korean warmth

 

 

The recipe
Clean and check 1kg of mussels. Roughly chop 6 thin spring onions. Warm 3 tbsp of groundnut oil in a large, deep pan then add the spring onions. Cook the onions for a couple of minutes, letting them soften but not color.

Stir 1 heaped tbsp of chilli paste (I use Korean gochujang) into the onions, fry briefly then add the mussels and 100ml of water, and cover tightly with a lid.

Finely shred and wash 100g of pak choi - the greens with leaves shaped like Chinese soup spoons. When the mussels have been cooking for 3 minutes and are starting to open, add the pak choi and a handful of coriander leaves. Toss the mussels, greens and juices together, cook for a minute or two, then transfer to bowls. For 2.

The trick
I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to check the mussels thoroughly, tapping each one on the side of the sink and discarding any whose shells fail to shut, but I will. It is essential to pick out any that have cracked shells, too. Mussels need only a very few minutes to cook (there is no joy in an overcooked mussel) so I remove them from the heat as soon as the shells start to open. A good shake as they steam will ensure more even cooking. They will continue to cook in the residual heat so I serve them as quickly as possible.

The twist
Use any fresh greens here. Try shredded cabbage or coarse-leaved spinach (not the diminutive, soft salad leaves). Alternatively, drop the greens and spoon the hot mussels over rice instead, their fiery gochujang juices trickling through the grains.

The Observer aims to publish recipes for fish rated as sustainable by the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide