Yum Hoi Mang-Pu - Thai Mussel Salad.
Submitted by foodguru
Yum Hoi Mang-Pu, a Thai mussel salad tossed with lemongrass, shallots, fresh mint, fiery bird’s-eye chilies, lime juice, and fish sauce. Crisp, fiery, and sour, served over lettuce as a starter.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
10 minREADY
40 minYum is the Thai word for tossed salad, and this is yum at its most uncompromising: blanched mussels, raw aromatics, no oil, no sugar to soften the punch. Sour from lime, salty from fish sauce, hot from crushed bird’s-eye chilies, fragrant from lemongrass and mint.
The blanching is the only cooking. Drop the cleaned mussels into rolling water for just seconds, until they go from translucent to opaque. Any longer turns them rubbery. They keep cooking from residual heat once drained, so err on the quick side.
Use only the pale lower third of the lemongrass stalk. The upper green part is fibrous and woody. Slice into paper-thin rings against the grain or the texture gets stringy in the mouth. Crushing the chilies with the flat of a knife releases their oils without pulverizing them, so heat builds gradually rather than blasting from the first bite.
Dress the warm mussels with lime and fish sauce first so they absorb the seasoning, then fold in herbs at the end to keep them perky.
Pro Tips
- Buy mussels live; they should smell of sea, not low tide.
- Taste before serving and adjust lime, fish sauce, and chili in roughly equal pulls.
- Halve the chili count if Thai bird’s-eyes are new to your kitchen; they pack real heat.
- Make components ahead, but toss only at the last minute to keep herbs bright.
Variations
- Swap mussels for poached shrimp, squid rings, or a mix of all three for yum talay.
- Add thin slices of green mango for a tart-sweet crunch.
- Toss in cilantro and Thai basil with the mint for a more layered herb mix.
Ingredients
Directions
Select only good quality, plump, fresh mussels, shelled and debearded.
Put the raw mussels into a strainer and drain well.
Wash the lemongrass stalk, trim off the leaves and woody top portion and discard.
Slice the stalks into fine rings until you have the required quantity.
If possible, use only the tender lower portions of the stalk.
Peel the shallots, and also slice fine.
Wash the mint leaves, and use the leaves whole.
Wash the hot fresh Thai chili peppers (substitute milder chili if desired), and lightly crush with a heavy object or the flat of a knife.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the mussels, using the strainer, quickly in the boiling water.
Put the mussels into a bowl, let cool then add lime/lemon juice and fish sauce and mix well.
Add the sliced lemongrass, sliced shallots, crushed chili peppers, mixed together.
Add mint leaves, and lightly toss together.
Serve on a platter lined with leaves from the lettuce, and garnish with some extra mint leaves and slices of the mild red chili pepper.
Serve the remaining lettuce leaves on the side as an accompaniment.
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