Mussels!

Seafood is a definite weak spot in my cooking repertoire, basically because it's so goddamn expensive that I get a bit scared about stuffing it up, so I usually opt for something else.

Anyway, in the last year or two I've been trying to branch out a bit, cooking a lot of scallops, some fish, squid, prawns, etc. Today was the day to try mussels.

Mussels are only about $9 a kilo from Kailis; you need about half a kilo per person as the weight is mostly in the shells and you'll lose a few.

These were very simple: quickly stir fry some garlic, ginger, lemongrass, coriander stem and chillies. Add the mussels and a little bit of sesame oil, turn them over 'til they've opened. Add a tin of coconut milk and the juice of a couple of limes, bring to the boil, stir in some coriander and serve.

We sopped up the liquid with bread, which was a tad inappropriate. Probably should've steamed some jasmine rice. Also too many of these had to be thrown away due to not opening, so I probably didn't cook them for long enough before adding the coconut milk.

Still, a good first try!

(As an aside: I walked to Kailis from my work near City West... Why is Perth so hostile to pedestrians? There's basically nowhere you can cross Loftus St without feeling like you're imperiling your life.)