The weekend is my favourite time for cooking. If there’s nothing planned, two whole days to shop for, prepare and eat amazing food that you just wouldn’t have time for in the week.

I had been reading a cookbook and found a recipe for mussels. It was described as a Friday night dinner, a big pot of mussels, some good bread and a large glass of wine. Sounds like a perfect Saturday evening dinner I thought.

This morning, on a whim I decided to make some bread, to go with dinner and so on the food processor went so it could prove while I was shopping. All went well and I spent a lovely afternoon watching the Tour de France with the smell of a large fresh loaf of bread lingering around the flat.

This evening, aperitivo in hand (tonight was a gin and it, if you’re wondering), I started on the mussels. A drink really does help the time fly if you’re scrubbing and debearding!

Gathering together the ingredients I realised I still had a huge amount of ‘nduja left (if August was the month of #tomatoeswitheverything, September is shaping up to be #ndujawitheverything). While the recipe I was using looked as delicious as you would expect – wine, garlic, shallots, it hit me that some ‘nduja would make it a lot more punchy!

After gently frying the garlic and onions, in went there ‘nduja which began to melt down. In went the mussels and the wine and it was time to put the lid on and hope for the best!

6 minutes later, I removed the lid to the most beautiful vivid red sauce and a pan full of big plump mussels. Served immediately with the homemade bread, this was an absolute treat! It made the sauce punchy, but not overpowering.

Given the vivid red, and the fact I was watching the TDF today, I have christened this Cozze Di Diavolo, the Devil’s Mussels after the crazy German, Didi Senft, who stands at the side of the road on the biggest climbs dressed as the devil! Having seen him jumping up and down, waving his trident at the riders during today’s stage, it seemed a good name for something spicy yet immensely enjoyable!