Green Curried Mussels from Phuc Yea

Welcome to another delicious edition of Chefs Share! Each month, this column highlights restaurant recipes from your favorite local chefs.

Not a pro in the kitchen? Don’t worry: You don’t need any professional experience to put together these dishes. Plus, you can find all the necessary ingredients at your local supermarket or specialty store.

This month’s recipe comes from chef Cesar Zapata, who leads the kitchen at the beloved MiMo institution Phuc Yea. While the eatery’s current location is almost five years ago, the concept dates back even further to 2011 – a lifetime ago in the local food scene.

That was the year Phuc Yea originally started as a humble downtown Miami pop-up. Zapata and co-owner Ani Meinhold eventually put that project on hold to work on The Federal Food, Drink & Provisions, an ode to New American cuisine. Shortly after that restaurant closed in 2016, Phuc Yea finally found a permanent home at 7100 Biscayne Blvd.

Don’t let Phuc Yea’s playful (and often mispronounced) name fool you: There’s some serious food here. The spot is known for its flavorful fusion of Vietnamese and Cajun cuisine, appropriately dubbed Viet-Cajun. Zapata has put together a mouthwater-ing menu of bites that includes green papaya salad, crispy imperial rolls, caramel chicken wings, pho, veggie curry and curried mussels.

It’s this last item that’s the star of this month’s column. The curried mussels are a fan favorite at the restaurant, where they can serve as an appetizer for the table or become your whole meal. And now, you can recreate the delectable dish in the comfort of your own home.

One quick note about these mussels: The recipe calls for green curry paste, which you can find at your local Asian market. Aside from that one ingredient, everything else on the list should be readily available at places like Publix, Whole Foods or your go-to shop. Enjoy!

GREEN CURRIED MUSSELS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound fresh mussels (PEI or Maine), debearded

• 1 teaspoon green curry paste

• 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass stalk (white part only)

• 1 tablespoon minced shallots

• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh garlic

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 1/4 cup coconut milk

• 1/2 cup mixed fresh cilantro and/or Vietnamese basil

• 1/4 cup sliced green grapes

• Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• Rinse mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush; discard any with broken shells.

• Heat oil in a 6- to 8-quart stockpot.

• Once oil is smoking, add green curry paste and sauté about 2 minutes.

• Add lemongrass, shallot and garlic and sauté several minutes, to create a base flavor.

• Add mussels and give them a good toss.

• Add wine, let it reduce by half, then add coconut milk and remaining ingredients.

• Cover pot and steam over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until mussels open.

• Toss mussels, garnish with fresh herbs and serve with your favorite garlic toast to soak up all that sauce!