Mussels in fresh tomato broth

Mussels, often overshadowed by scallops and oysters, offer an inexpensive and quick cooking option to customers shopping at the fishmongers. Mussels rarely require many ingredients to flavour effectively, making them a convenient choice for cooking that requires less work in the kitchen. Serve with crusty bread to mop up all the delectable pan juices!

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  2-4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 eschallots, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 tomatoes, finely chopped
• ½ cup (125 ml) white wine
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
• 1 kg mussels, cleaned
• Salt and black pepper
• Toasted sourdough baguette, lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the onion and eschallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until softened.
   
2. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a further minute, then stir through the tomatoes, wine and parsley. Bring to a simmer, then add the mussels to the pot, stirring well to combine with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the mussels are cooked. Remove from the heat and sprinkle generously with extra parsley.
   
3. Serve the mussels in a fresh tomato broth with toasted sourdough and lemon wedges on the side.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.