Dish of the day – Mussels in White Wine (Cozze al Vino Bianco)

Jono Fleming cooks an aromatic seafood dish evocative of a recent trip to Italy.

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to head over to Italy to work with Italian-Australian food writer Silvia Colloca on her upcoming book "Made in Italy". Besides eating a lot, I learned some key things about traditional Italian cooking from Silvia. My main takeaway was how to balance flavours in the cuisine, using fresh ingredients and letting the natural produce shine without over-complicating the dish. Working in the Abbruzzo region of Italy, I was situated between the mountains of Torricella and the seaside of San Vito Chientino. There was a plethora of amazing food to be had but the one dish we ate almost every day was mussels cooked in white wine.

Eating this dish led naturally to learning about another very important Italian tradition called 'scarpetta'. The word translates to 'little shoe' and refers to the highly satisfying act of mopping up the sauce with a piece of bread. It's completely acceptable, even encouraged, and probably added an extra kilo or two to my waistline.

The Chasseur range of cast iron cookware is perfect for cooking this dish. The heavy cast iron helps evenly heat the food and retain the heat for cooking. Mussels are best cooked with a few simple ingredients and all you need to do is throw them in a pot for a couple of minutes. As we head into the warmer months of the year, this dish is perfect served with a nice chilled glass of wine and a loaf of crusty ciabatta. Just remember to scoop up all that leftover sauce and raise your glass. Cheers Silvia! Salute!