This is my all time favourite mussel dish. Actually any mussel dish is my all time favourite… if the mussels are fresh and cooked well!

I can still remember when I first discovered this recipe I would go to the local farmers market every Saturday morning and get a few kilo’s off the mussel guy. I would rock up every Saturday at 730am, hung over and knowing full well that they weren’t allowed to start trading until 800am. I just wanted my mussels and I really wanted to avoid the crowd.

After a while the mussel guy would see me coming and bag ‘em up for me, always adding that he “will just meet me out the front of his ute”.

Then I would take my catch home and slowly start preparing the mid morning lunch for me and the crew (or the crew and I if you’re particular).

The only prerequisite was that the lads and ladies bought plenty of crusty bread freshly baked that morning… and maybe a beer if we were in the mood. Cheers boys. Oh, and jen and sarah.

Chilli mussels
3kg fresh, Australian mussels (500g-1kg per person, depending on your appetite)
2 tins crushed tomatoes
1 Tbls chilli sambal or sriracha chilli sauce
2 Tbls sweet soy sauce
¼ cup shao xing cooking wine
1 handful chopped shallots
2 handfuls chopped coriander
some extra chopped chilli if you love it

For the sauce mix tomatoes, chilli sauce, sweet soy and shao xing. Set aside.
Get a pot or wok big enough to hold the mussels and put it on a high heat. Add a splash of water and the mussels and cover. Cook for 2 minutes or until the mussels are starting to open. Add the sauce and cook, covered for another 5 or 6 or 7 minutes. As the mussels open you can take them out of the pot, one by one, with tongs or a slotted spoon or your fingers if you think you’re hardcore. Once you have them all out of the pot and into a serving bowl or a bucket etc, add remaining ingredients and pour over mussels.

Eat with total disregard for manners or anything else “civil” thoughts may incourage you to do. Half shells are great to scoop up soupiness, fingers and bread are even better. Hold the bowl up to your face and slurp the last of the juices. You know you want to.

Eff yes.