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Ingredients
- 900g/2lb fresh mussels
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 150ml/5fl oz red wine
- 850g/13⁄4lb canned chopped plum tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Clean the mussels by scrubbing or scraping the shells and pulling out
any beards that are attached to them. Discard any mussels with broken
shells or any that do not close when tapped on a work surface. - Put the mussels into a large saucepan with just the water that clings to
their shells. Cook the mussels, tightly covered, over a high heat for
3–4 minutes until the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that
remain closed. Strain, reserving the cooking liquid. - Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and
sweat gently for 8–10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the
garlic and thyme, and cook for a further 1 minute. Add the wine and
simmer rapidly until reduced and syrupy. Add the tomatoes and reserved
mussel cooking liquid, and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for
30 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 15 minutes. - Add the mussels and cook for a further 5 minutes until heated through.
Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately
