mussels with chilli, garlic and white wine

takes 5 mins
makes 4 serves

4 ripe tomatoes
50ml olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp birdseye chilli, finely chopped
2 kg mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
250ml dry white wine
800 gm chopped canned tomatoes
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve
ciabatta, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and toasted

boil a small saucepan of water. cut a small cross into the base of each tomato and blanch until skin starts to peel off, then place straight into iced water. peel off skin and coarsely chop, discarding the seeds.

combine oil, garlic and chilli in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. add mussels and wine, cover and shake occasionally until mussels open (2-3 minutes). strain, but keep the liquid. transfer mussels to serving platter. return liquid to saucepan over high heat, add chopped and canned tomatoes and bring to the boil. add parsley and pour over mussels. season to taste, scatter with extra parsley and serve with toasted ciabatta.

a tip when cooking fresh mussels: if upon completion a mussel is not open but smells fine, then it is still all good to eat. just use another shell to pry it open! See Murray the Mussel