Mussels in Tomato and Garlic Broth

Mussels are the best-value seafood in the shop and it isn't close. Two kilograms feeds four people properly, it costs less than a family takeaway, and the whole thing is twelve minutes in one pot.

They are also one of the better sources of omega-3 on the counter — better than most white fish — which is a good thing to know if you're trying to get more seafood into a household that isn't sure about seafood.

What you need

• 2 kg live black mussels
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 400 g tin whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 150 ml dry white wine, or stock
• A pinch of chilli flakes
• A big handful of parsley
• Crusty bread, to serve — non-negotiable

Cleaning them — the two minutes that matter

Mussels arrive alive. Tip them into a sink of cold water, pull off any beard (the stringy bit) with a firm tug towards the hinge, and scrub off anything obvious.

The rule: before cooking, throw away any mussel that is open and does not close when you tap it firmly on the bench. After cooking, throw away any that did not open. Both directions of that rule, every time.

Keep them in the fridge in an open bowl under a damp tea towel, never sealed in a bag and never in fresh water — they need to breathe. Cook them the day you buy them.

How to cook it

1. Onion in the oil in a big pot with a lid, medium heat, six or seven minutes until soft and sweet.
2. Garlic and chilli for a minute, then the wine. Let it bubble hard for two minutes to cook off the sharpness.
3. Tomatoes in, simmer five minutes.
4. Mussels in, lid on, heat up. Five to six minutes, giving the pot a good shake halfway. They are done the moment they are open — not a minute after.
5. Check and discard anything still shut. Parsley over the top.
6. Straight to the table in the pot, with bread and an empty bowl for the shells.

Making it work for you

Kids: this is often the dish that works, because opening a shell is a job and children like jobs. Go easy on the chilli.

Bigger: add a tin of cannellini beans with the tomatoes and it stretches to six.

Green-lipped New Zealand mussels are larger and meatier and cook the same way — give them an extra minute.

Don't waste the broth. Whatever is left in the pot is the best part of the meal. That is what the bread is for.