24    (about 1 kg) large mussels

      2 tb Oil

      1 sm Onion, finely chopped

      2 ts Finely chopped fresh ginger

      1    Clove garlic, crushed

      1    Stem fresh lemon grass,

           -finely chopped
      1 ts Shrimp paste

    500    White fish fillets, chopped

      1    Egg white

      1 tb Cream

      1 tb Chopped fresh basil

      2 sm Fresh red chillies, sliced

  Picked up a couple of new mussel recipes from the Ozzie books Mark
  brought. This on is from a book on Thai cooking and looks
  outrageously good. The stuffing is molded onto a shell and garnished
  with an "x" of hot red chili strips.
  1:  Scrub mussels; remove beards.  Place mussels in pan, cover with

  cold water, bring to boil, simmer, covered, for about 3 minutes until
  mussels begin to open.  Drain mussels, rinse under cold water; drain
  well. Remove and discard top shell from each mussel.
  2:  Heat oil in pan, add onion, ginger, garlic and lemon grass, cook,

  stirring, until onion is soft.  Add paste, cook, stirring, for 1
  minute; cool.
  3:  Blend or process fish, egg white and cream until smooth. Combine

  fish mixture, onion mixture and basil in bowl; mix well, Spoon
  mixture onto mussel in shells, smooth surface, top with chilli.
  4:  Just before serving, place mussels in bamboo steamer in single

  layer. Cook, covered tightly, over pan of boiling water, for about 3
  minutes or until fish mixture is cooked through.
  Makes 6 servings.
  Mussels can be prepared a day ahead.
  Storage: Covered, in refrigerator. Freeze: Not suitable. Microwave:
  Not suitable.
  From "Easy Thai-style Cookery", Edited by Maryanne Blacker, The
  Australian Women's Weekly Home Library, 1991.  ISBN 0-94912833-3
  Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; August 9 1993.