Mussels seem to tick all the boxes; being tasty, good for us, environmentally friendly and excellent value. I need no encouragement to eat them. This recipe, billed as being ‘supper delicious’ was in an article by Gill Meller published in The Observer . It makes a perfect first course or part of an alfresco lunch.

1kg washed, checked and debearded
1 red onion, peeled and very finely sliced
4tbsp cider vinegar
3-4tsp golden caster sugar
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1tsp caraway seeds, toasted
2tsp coriander seeds, toasted and roughly crushed
1 small bunch chives, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Brown bread
Butter

Place a large pan on a high heat and add 100ml of water. When it is boiling, add the mussels and fit the lid. Cook for two minutes, shaking the pan once or twice during this time.

Drain, reserving the juice, and remove any mussels that have not opened. When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shell, put into a basin and store in the fridge.

To make the pickling liquid, pour the mussel juice into a pan (avoiding the last few tablespoons which may be gritty). Add the sliced onion, cider vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, and toasted seeds. Slowly bring the pan to a simmer, then take it off the heat and leave to cool for 20 minutes.

Pour the pickling liquid over the mussels, add the chives, and season.

Leave the mussels a few hours to steep, taste to check not only for seasoning but also for the balance of sweetness and acidity (you may wish to add a little sugar or vinegar).

Serve with thickly buttered very fresh brown bread.