‘Nduja brings a rich meatiness to this mussel dish by Manteca’s Chris Leach. The mussels are steamed in white wine, finished off with cream, parsley and lemon and served with lightly toasted focaccia. The Calabrian chilli in the ‘nduja brilliantly complement the sweet brininess of mussels.
Check the mussels and discard any with broken shells or that don't close when firmly tapped
Place the ‘nduja in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid on a medium heat and let it slowly melt and render
Turn up the heat and stir the mussels into the ‘nduja. Add the white wine, cover and cook for around 2 minutes, giving the pan an occasional shake to help agitate the mussels. They’re ready when they’re all open
Once the mussels are cooked, remove the lid. Discard any mussels which still remain closed, stir the double cream through the sauce for 1 more minute, then remove from the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice and add the parsley
Make sure the sauce tastes good to you, adding a little salt or more lemon if necessary
To serve, put a piece of toast in the base of each bowl. Spoon the mussels evenly over the top, pour over the sauce and serve. The toast will absorb the sauce to create a little treat after the mussels are eaten
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