Fragrant mussels with tomatoes and pancetta

From The Devilled Egg’s Barbora Steiss, who says, ‘This dish is great with a gutsy New Zealand pinot gris, specifically Boreham Wood 2009 – a wine which works very well with seafood and spices.’

Serves 4

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°c/gm6.

2. Place the tomatoes, lemongrass and ginger on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until softened.

3. Fry the pancetta cubes in a deep pan until golden brown. Turn the heat down and place the onions into the pan with a little salt. Fry until they’re translucent and soft.

4. Add the garlic, coriander stalks and chilli and fry for
another minute.

5. Take the tomatoes from the oven (remove and discard the lemongrass and ginger), and add them to the pan. Turn the heat up until everything is sizzling. Pour the wine into the pan and let it bubble for a few seconds.

6. Throw the mussels into the pan and cover with a lid. Shake the pot every now and then, but don’t remove the lid. Check after 5 minutes – you want all the mussels to have opened. Some will remain closed, discard these.

7. Remove the mussels from the pan and arrange in a bowl, but keep the liquid and reduce by keeping it on the boil. Stir in the coriander leaves and then pour over the mussels. Serve immediately with chunks of baguette.

The Devilled Egg
8 Downfield Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2TH.
Tel. 01179 732823.
www.thedevilledegg.com