Rick Stein's mussels with Bayonne ham and shallots

Rick is spending his long weekends in search of good food and fabulous locations just a quick hop, skip and a jump from the UK. In his new book he travels to Cadiz, Palermo, Copenhagen and more gathering great recipes - like this delicious dish of mussels with Bayonne ham and shallots.

Serves: Serves 3-4 as a starter

Ingredients

1.5 kg mussels, raw and scrubbed2 tbsp dry white wine50g butter1 shallot, finely chopped75g Bayonne or Prosciutto ham, finely chopped1 clove garlic, grated or finely choppedHandful mixed flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, chervil and chives, chopped.Freshly ground black pepperCrusty bread to serve

Method

Put the mussels in a large pan, add the white wine, cover and steam over high heat for about 3-4 minutes until open, shaking the pan from time to time. Remove from the heat and strain into a colander set over a large bowl. Reserve the cooking liquor and keep the mussels warm.

In the pan, melt the butter and gently cook the shallots, ham and garlic for up to 4-5 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the mussel cooking liquor, bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add the mussels and the herbs and mix well. Season with black pepper.

Serve in warmed bowls with crusty bread.