Tagliatelle with mussels and samphire

Method

1. While you wash and scrub the mussels, check them all well, discarding any already open ones.

2. Place the garlic with a little butter and oil in a deep pan or casserole dish over medium high heat. Move the garlic around the pan for a minute or two in the hot butter and oil and then pour in the glass of wine. Turn the heat up, bring the wine to the boil, add the mussels and put the lid on. Let the mussels steam for around 4-5 minutes. All the shells should have opened.

3. Turn the heat off and then remove all of the mussels from their shells. Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve, discarding all the shells and any solids.

4. Place the diced chilli in a clean pan with a little bit of oil. Cook for a minute before pouring the cooking liquor from the mussels back in with a good crack of freshly cracked black pepper. Lower the heat and cook for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile cook the Tagliatelle in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.

5. Pour the cream into the pan with the chilli and cooking liquor and add back the mussels. Scatter in the chopped tarragon and samphire. Warm everything over the low heat for just a minute or two and then take off the heat and toss everything together along with the pasta. Serve between two bowls.