Donal Skehan's Mussels in Irish Cider

Serve with some crusty bread to mop up the liquid!

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg mussels, washed and the beards removed
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 200 g pancetta pieces
• a good knob of butter
• 400 ml good irish cider
• 4 tblsp cream
• a good handful of freshly chopped, parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Discard any mussels that are open before cooking and any that stay closed after cooking.
• Place a large pot over a high heat and brown the pancetta pieces until just golden and sizzling. Add in a knob of butter, allow it to melt and then add the onion and garlic. Cook gently for three minutes until the onion is soft.
• Add in the cider and allow to bubble away for a few minutes so all the flavours mingle in together. Tumble in the mussels, cover with a lid and allow them to steam for about four minutes until they open, making sure to give the pot a good shake once or twice during the cooking time.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and parsley and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
• Serve with some crusty bread to mop up the liquid!