Last week we talked about the rise in the popularity of vermouth, both in cocktails and by itself – here we show how it is also a useful ingredient. If the Bank Holiday has left you some time on your hands to experiment in the kitchen, we suggest you try out this mouth-watering mussels recipe.

Vermouth-steamed mussels

Ingredients (serves two)

60 ml olive oil

30g minced garlic

55g diced pancetta

55g julienned red onions

24 cleaned mussels

120 ml sweet vermouth

180 ml chicken stock

Salt and pepper

5g crushed red pepper

90g diced tomatoes

55g unsalted butter

10g chopped green onions

For serving: Grilled bread

Method

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil with the garlic, pancetta and red onions. Add the mussels. Deglaze the pan with sweet vermouth and add the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and steam the mussels until they open. Remove the mussels and add the diced tomatoes, butter and green onions. Adjust seasonings. Heat and pour the sauce over the mussels and serve with a piece of grilled bread.