4 dozen Prince Edward Island mussels or any small black mussels (2-1/2 lbs)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp peeled and grated ginger
1/4 cup peeled and diced tomato
1 Tbsp red curry paste
4 cups canned coconut milk
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
6 sprigs cilantro, for garnish
Scrub the mussels well and de-beard (pull the beard -- the little stringy fibers hanging outside the mussel shell -- down toward the hinged point of the mussel; it might hold on for dear life, but pull hard, and it will come off).
Melt the butter in a large nonreactive saucepan, and sauté the garlic, ginger and tomato for 2 minutes. Add the curry paste and coconut milk, stirring until the paste dissolves. Add the mussels, cover, and steam until open, 3-6 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open. Add the chopped cilantro. Serve in a large bowl with plenty of crusty sourdough bread for dipping, or divide into individual bowls, garnished with sprigs of cilantro.