Mumma's Chilli Mussels

Ingredients

A hearty, comforting dish inspired by Southern Italy's fra diavolo sauce, fresh mussels are the true hero here. Best served with crunchy, lightly charred bread (pane di casa is preferred) to soak up the exquisite juices, you can't go wrong. Pop the pot on the table and let the table dive into this fiery dish.

1L cold water
70 g salt
60 g butter
1 Tbs garlic, finely chopped
2 birds eye chillis, thinly sliced (adjust based on heat preferences)
2 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
2 Tbs tomato paste
2 kg fresh mussels (cleaned and debearded)
250mL dry, white wine
Handful roughly chopped continental parsley, plus extra to serve
Handful roughly chopped basil, plus extra to serve
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

To prep the mussels, ensure that the shells are clean and have been debearded. If they haven't been cleaned fully, take the time to make sure there is no grit on the shells. Dissolve the salt in the cold water and soak your mussels for 20 minutes. This will clear out any sand inside the shells. Drain and wash away any excess salt.

Combine butter, garlic and chillis in a saucepan over medium high-heat. Sauté until the mixture is fragrant. Add the tomatoes and the paste to the saucepan and let them simmer for about 10 minutes allowing the flavours to meld and the sauce to slightly thicken.

Increase the heat to high, and add the mussels and wine. Give it a good stir to ensure everything has combined, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the mussels have opened. Remember to toss the pot a couple of times during cooking to ensure even heat distribution.

Once the mussels have cooked (discard any that haven't opened), sprinkle in the roughly chopped parsley and basil, gently stirring through the mussels and sauce. Season to taste.

Serve immediately with slices of toasted crusty Italian bread on the side.