Mussels, fennel, chilli and cucumber

Check over the mussels, discarding any that are open and don’t close when tapped.

Heat a large saucepan over a high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the mussels, pour in the cider and immediately put a tight-fitting lid on. Cook for 3 minutes, shaking the pan after 2 minutes. Lift the lid and check that most of the mussels have opened; if not, put the lid back on and cook for a further minute.

Drain the mussels in a sieve over a bowl to catch the juice. Let them cool, then tip into a clean bowl, cover and place in the fridge. Pour the reserved mussel juice through a cloth-lined sieve into a bowl to filter out any bits of shell or grit, then cover and refrigerate.

Quarter the fennel bulb and remove the hard stem base and stalk. Slice from the stalk end as finely as possible and place in a bowl. Quarter the cucumber lengthways and cut into slices the same thickness as the fennel. Add to the bowl with the chilli and lime zest and juice.

Add the mussel juice, then taste and season with pepper and a little salt if needed (the mussel juice will add salt).

Take the mussels from the fridge and discard any that are unopened. Pull the mussels from their shells and stir them through the fennel mix. Roughly tear the basil into the salad and give it a final mix. Have spoons to hand and some sourdough baguette to mop up the delicious liquor.

Swaps

If you can get some cockles or clams, try using in place of the mussels. You will need twice the amount as the shell to flesh ratio is a lot less than with mussels.