284 ml/0.5 pint dry white wine
1 onion, very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped, or a pinch of dried chilli flakes
2 kg/4.5 lb scrubbed live mussels in their shells
a handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper
1. Pour the wine into a large saucepan with a close-fitting lid. Add the onion, garlic and chilli and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until the onion is tender.
2. Meanwhile, check the mussels, discarding any that remain open when tapped sharply with a knife (if they don’t close, they’re dead and should not be eaten). Add the mussels to the pan with a good grinding of black pepper. Cover and steam for 3–5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the shells have just opened. Discard any that do not open after cooking.
3. Sprinkle the parsley over and ladle the mussels and the wine juices into large bowls. Serve with salad.
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