Fresh from his star appearance on SBS’s Italian Food Safari program, chef Eugenio Maiale from Omerta and A Tavola restaurants shares his signature dish with Woman’s Day readers.

WIN Taste of Sydney tickets!

Mussels steamed with chilli, white wine and tomato

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 small red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
1-tablespoon tomato passata
1kg tomatoes, finely chopped
1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
2 teaspoons caster sugar
½ cup dry white wine
1.5kg mussels, beards removed (see note)
½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Crusty bread, to serve

1. Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and chilli. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Add tomato passata and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add tomato, lemon rind, lemon juice, sugar and wine to pan. Stir until well combined. Increase heat to high. Bring sauce to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until thick. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add mussels to sauce. Cover and cook, shaking pan occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until mussel shells open. Ladle sauce and mussels into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with bread.

• To remove mussel beards place mussels in a large bowl. Cover with cold water. Scrub with scourer to remove grit from shells. Then, Remove mussels, one at a time, hold in one had. Using free hand, grab the beard (clump of hairs) and sharply tug down to remove. Transfer cleaned mussel shells to a fresh bowl of water.