Italian mussels

It's slightly late in the season, but I was craving for mussels. Finally I made my Italian version. A version you don't eat with your pinky finger up, but one you eat messy. You must (yes, must) eat/suck them straight out of the shell, so you get a shell full of sauce with every bite.

I added some pasta, but it's also amazing with just some bread. The juice from the mussels, together with the tomato sauce, is like a rich soup. It'a heavenly.

Ingredients:

• 2 kg fresh mussels • 1 can skinned tomatoes • 1 red onion • 4 garlic cloves • 1 red chilli pepper • 1 shot vodka • fresh dill • 3 bay leaves • 1 tbsp dried oregano • 2 tbsp balsamic •

1. Start with cleaning your mussels. Fill your (clean) sink with cold, salted water (just add 2 tbsp kitchen salt to the water). Throw the mussels onto the water and let them clean themselves for about 15 minutes. They will open up a little and get rid of any sand in their shells.

2. Check the mussels if they are all still alive. Cracked shells mostly mean they are dead. Also get rid of shells that are open and are easy to open further. A healthy mussel will actually close once you try to open it or tap it on its shell.

3. Heat up a large pan and add a few tablespoons of oil. Quickly fry half of your onion (thinly sliced), the chilli pepper and garlic (shopped finely).

4. Once everything has a golden edge, add the vodka. Let the alcohol evaporate and add the tomatoes and balsamic.

5. Add the mussels and stir well. Close the lid of the pan (or use tin foil. The mussels need space to open up and a lid could prevent that from happening). Cook for 5-7 minutes while stirring every few minutes. The mussels should all be open. The ones that stay closed are probably dead and you should not eat them. Good quality mussels will open 99% of the time.

6. Add a little bit of cornstarch water if the sauce it very thin (mussels lose a lot of seawater when you cook them). The salt from the mussels will season the sauce. Add raw onions and a good amount of fresh dill.

Enjoy!