Seafood laksa

450g (1lb) fresh mussels, cleaned
1tbsp sesame oil
2tbsp laksa paste – we like Reuben Solomon’s Singapore Laksa Paste, £5.49 for a 260g jar from Sainsbury’s or Hard to Find Foods (0870 383 4670; hardtofindfoods.co.uk)
400ml can coconut milk
125g (4oz) fine rice noodles
6 spring onions, finely shredded
Zest and juice of 1 lime
24 raw organic tiger prawns, peeled and de-veined
Small bunch each fresh mint and fresh basil, finely shredded
50g (2oz) roasted peanuts, finely chopped

In short	Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 20 mins Total time: 40 mins Serves: 6 people Cuisine: Thai & Malaysian Course: Main
Nutrition (per portion)	391 calories 21g fat (11g saturates) 22g carbs

Method

1 Discard any mussels that are broken or that don’t close when tapped.

2 Heat the sesame oil in a large pan and stir in the laksa paste. Cook, stirring, over a medium heat for 2min, then pour in the coconut milk and 200ml (7fl oz) water. Simmer gently for 10min.

3 Stir in the rice noodles, spring onions and the lime zest and juice. Season to taste, then bring back to a slow simmer. Add the mussels and prawns to the pan; cook for 3–5min until the prawns have turned pink and the mussels are open. Discard any mussels that remain closed.

4 Stir in half the mint and basil. Serve the laksa in deep bowls with the remaining herbs and nuts sprinkled on top.