Recipe: Creamy mussels with wine, chilli and thyme

Serves 2

1 Tbs butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stick of celery, finely diced
1 potato, scrubbed and diced
1 tsp red or green chilli or more depending on your taste, finely chopped
Finely grated zest of one lemon
100ml white wine
2 dozen mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
150ml cream
1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Crusty bread to serve, warmed

1 In a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, melt the butter over a medium heat.

2 Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and potato. Stir to combine then cook until the vegetables have begun to soften.

3 Add the chilli, lemon and wine. Bring to a boil then add the mussels. Cover and leave to steam open - approximately 4 minutes.

4 Remove the lid, add the cream and thyme. Simmer for a few minutes before grinding in plenty of black pepper. Serve in large warm bowls with bread.