Creamy Mussels and Cider

With smoky bacon, fresh herbs and garlic ciabatta. Simple and delicious, the cider and herbs make an amazingly fragrant sauce.

Peel and finely slice the garlic, pick and roughly chop the herbs, and finely slice the bacon.
Heat a few tbsp of olive oil in a large pan on a high heat and fry the bacon until golden and crispy, stirring regularly. Remove the bacon and set aside, leave any excess fat in the pan.
Tip the mussels into the hot pan with the garlic, cider and a few tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Cover with a lid and let steam for 3-5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened and are plump, juicy and delicious, shaking the pan occasionally.
When all of the mussels have opened, they’re ready – transfer them to a platter, leaving the juices behind in the pan.
Stir the yoghurt into the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add most of the herbs and a little of the bacon, then season with some black pepper.
Slice the bread 2cm thick, then toast under a hot grill. Take the toasted ciabatta and rub the hot toasts all over with the raw garlic, then drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
To serve, pour the sauce over the mussels, scatter over the remaining herbs and bacon, add some chervil, arrange the toasted garlic ciabatta around the edge of the platter and tuck in.