Starters Serve: 4

Ingredients

1kg of pre-cleaned mussels
2 tablespoon of olive oil
3 tablespoon of unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves minced
3-4 chopped fresh tomatoes of 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 red chili pepper (optional)
1 shallots finely chopped
1/2 cup of water or ( dry white wine )
2 tablespoon of fresh basil or dried
1 bay leave
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish

Preparing the mussels

Give your mussels a quick rinse. If they are pre- cleaned. Discard any that don’t close.

Note: if mussels are not pre- cleaned. Rinse the mussels very well, using your fingers or cutting knife. Remove any barnacles, sand, grit or beards.

Method

On medium heat in a reasonably sized pot. Melt the butter and add the oil. Sauté shallots until soften. Add the garlic and stair for 1 min.

Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, chilli and basil. Cook until tomatoes are soften and Sause begins to dry a little.

Add the water or wine, as it begins to simmer place the mussels with the bay leave into the pot, cover and steam for 5 -10 min.

Uncover the lid and stir gently to combine. Most of the mussels should be open. Cover and stream for another 3 -4 min.

Serve in bowls and cover with its broth. Garnish with parsley and serve with garlic bread.

Preparing your garlic bread

1 baguette
10 tablespoons salted butter softened to room temperature
4 tablespoon of minced garlic or 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 240c/ gas 9. In a backing tray lay the cut baguette. Mix together the butter, garlic and parsley to form a thick paste. Spread the butter evenly over the baguette, back for 15 min until the butter melted and the bread is slightly crispy and golden. Pile on a serving platter and eat while worm.

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