Sweet ‘n’ Sour Mussels Recipe

What you'll need:

• 1 kg of quality live mussels
• Some olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 4 red chillies, finely sliced
• 150ml white wine vinegar
• A splash of Thai fish sauce
• 6 tsp sugar
• Juice of 1 lime
• Small handful of basil, chopped
• Small handful of coriander, chopped

Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2

Method

First

First of all, clean your mussels, and be sure to discard of any which aren’t closed (and which don’t close after giving them a firm tap while making a noise like a seagull). Add a little water to a big saucepan, then chuck in all the mussels and steam for 5 minutes or until all have opened (again, discard any which stay closed). Put the mussels and their juices to one side.

Second

In a frying pan, soften the onion, garlic, ginger, and chillies in a little olive oil. Toss in the sugar and the vinegar, stir well to dissolve, and take a little taste to see whether you’ve hit the optimum sweet and sour balance. Season with a small splash of fish sauce, and leave to simmer for 3 minutes.

Third

Tip all the shellfish back into the pan along with their juices, and stir well to get them nicely coated with the sticky sauce. Squeeze the lime juice over the whole lot, toss over the herbs, stir well and serve steaming hot. Delicious!

Wine Match

This seafood dish will go brilliantly with a stunning South African Chenin Blanc. Pair it with the Winery of Good Hope Chenin Blanc 2017 -- it sure is going to work like a dream!

There you have it -- a special recipe for Sweet ‘n’ Sour Mussels!

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