Ingredients:

500g mussels
½ cup water or pork stock
1 stem lemon grass, diagonally sliced
5 slices mature galangal
¼ cup wild ginger (fingerroot), shredded
¼ cup sweet basil leaves

Garnish: sprig of sweet basil

Hot Seafood Dip:

19 Thai chilies, assorted colors
45 large Thai chilies, assorted colors
½ small cup garlic, peeled
3 coriander roots, sliced
2 tsp sugar
¼ cup cooked water

Preparation:

1. To prepare hot seafood dip: Put everything except water into a blender and blend well. Pour into a sauce dish and add water, stir to mix well.

2. Clean and scrub the mussel shells, discard the hair and soak in a bowl of water. Add 5 crushed Thai chilies to help them remove soil.

3. Pour water or stock into a clay pot, add half of lemon grass, galangal, wild ginger(fingerroot) and sweet basil. Put in mussels. Top with the remaining herbs then cover. Cook over the high heat for 5 minutes until all shells are opened. Remove from the heat. Garnish with sprig of sweet basil before serving with the hot seafood dip.

(Serves 2-3)

Note: large-sized and meaty mussels are suggested for the most delicious.