This recipe comes from a time in Langkawi, Malaysia, when we visited a nearby island to smoke some fish. Deciding that a big bowl of mussels and some crusty bread would be the perfect thing to accompany our crisp white wine, we sailed to Pulau Singar Besar. There, there is a small shelter with a table and a fireplace. We lit a fire to cook on, and as our fish smoked away, I cooked up the yummy mussels.

We love these days, cooking on the fire, the beach to ourselves, wine and entertaining ourselves with a game of cards. Yes, some days, you do feel you are in paradise.

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil
6 Large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2-3 large chillies, sliced
1 1/2 cups of white wine
2 cups of fish stock
1 cup of small grape tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste
1kg of New Zealand green-lip mussels
6-8 spring onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup basil leaves, finely shredded

Method

Wash the mussels, scrub the shell and remove the bearding if still present. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the garlic and chilli, cook for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and simmer to reduce a little. Then add the fish stock. At this stage, I add a few of the tomatoes to allow that to help flavour the broth and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for five minutes.

Add the mussels cover and cook for about three minutes.

Add the spring onions and tomatoes, toss well to incorporate, cover and cook for a couple of minutes.

Then add the basil, toss well, cover and cook for another minute or two.

Divide mussel and tomatoes between two large bowls, pour over the broth and serve with crusty bread. Yummo!

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