Mussels with Red Curry Broth and Lemongrass

4 pounds mussels (rinsed and debearded)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

3 shallots (thinly sliced)

4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)

1 stalk lemongrass (top and bottom trimmed and outer leaves discarded; bottom third of of stalk thinly sliced)

8 ounces sweet Italian pork sausage ((if cased, remove from casing))

1 large yellow onion (julienned)

5 tablespoons prepared Thai red curry paste

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups fish or shellfish stock

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 tablespoons gochujang ((Korean chile paste))

3 tablespoons shoyu ((White soy sauce))

1 tablespoon honey

2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat unsweetened coconut milk

Kosher salt

cilantro leaves (for garnish)

Baguette or crusty bread (for serving)

Merlot

Pick through the mussels and discard any that have open shells.

In a large high-sided skillet or pot, heat the canola and sesame oils over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic, and lemongrass and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and onion and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the chunks of sausage as it cooks, until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste, then pour in the wine and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock, fish sauce, oyster sauce, gochujang, shoyu, and honey. Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine, then season to taste with salt and add the mussels. Cover the pot and cook until the flavors have married and all the mussel shells have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Divide the mussels among six serving bowls. Pour the liquid from the pot over each dish and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately with a crusty baguette alongside to sop up the juices.