GLUTEN-FREE LAKSA MUSSELS
Laksa Mussels make an impressive entrée and a very quick one too if you have, as we do, made your gluten-free laksa paste ahead of time.
We like to make the full recipe below and freeze in portions what we don’t immediately need. That way we can throw together a tasty laksa with any fresh ingredients we fancy.
A traditional laksa always has rice noodles and then a combination of meat, seafood or chicken, some vegetables and fresh Asian herbs. It is always very soupy and spicy. And hearty enough to make a meal.
Rosie
LAKSA MUSSELS
Serves 10
Laksa Paste
You will only need around one third of this recipe for 10 entrées but I like to make it in this quantity and then freeze it in small amounts to have on hand for any type of laksa at any time. Allow 30g (1 heaped tablespoon) of laksa paste per person for an entrée.
1 kg Roma tomatoes
80 ml vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
35 gm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
8 birds eye chillies, roughly chopped
2 stalks of lemongrass, finely sliced
3 limes zested AND juice from 1
20 gm finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon balachan (wrapped in a single layer of foil and popped in the oven @ 150°C for
10 minutes)
1 bunch coriander, roots (well washed) and stems only (Reserve leaves to garnish the mussels.)
35 gm palm sugar
1 bunch Vietnamese mint, leaves only
2 brown onions, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Halve the Roma tomatoes, toss in 20ml of the oil, arrange in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 1.5 hours. Allow to cool a little then puree in a food processor.
Place garlic, ginger and chilli in a food processor and process until fine. Add all other ingredients except the onions and roast tomato puree and process until fine. Add onions and process until smooth.
Heat oil in a wok and fry blended mixture on a very low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often. Add the pureed tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before storing.
For The Mussels
300 gm laksa paste (see above)
500 ml coconut cream
200 ml light chicken stock (preferably home made)
2 kg mussels, cleaned and purged (we buy Kinkawooka ready to cook live mussels)
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish
Place laksa paste, coconut cream and chicken stock in a large heavy based stock pot with a well-fitting lid and stir to combine thoroughly. Rinse mussels in a colander and drain. Allow the laksa paste mixture to come to a rapid boil. Don’t worry if the sauce appears a little thick, the liquor from the mussels will thin out the sauce.
Add the mussels immediately covering the pot with the lid. Shake the pot from time to time until all the mussels have opened. Divide amongst 10 bowls, drizzling the sauce over. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve immediately offering soup spoons for the delicious, soupy sauce underneath the mussels.
TIPS:
I under-season the laksa paste as adding the mussels will give it a big shot of saltiness but you may have to add salt for a chicken laksa for example.