Ingredients
For the stuffed pepper
1 green pepper, halved, half left whole, half chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tomato, seeds removed and chopped
85g/3oz long grain rice, cooked according to packet instructions and drained
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
25g/1oz parmesan, grated
For the mussel and basil sauce
250g/9oz live mussels, debearded, cleaned and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
175ml/6fl oz white wine
3 tbsp double cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. For the stuffed pepper, place the whole green pepper half on a baking tray and drizzle with two tablespoons of the oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and transfer to the oven to roast for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.
3. Heat the remaining oil and fry the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add the chopped green pepper half, tomato, cooked rice and sage and warm through for 4-5 minutes, then stir in the parmesan. Stuff the roasted pepper half with the rice mixture.
4. For the mussel and basil sauce, tap the mussels against a hard surface and discard any that do not open.
5. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onions and garlic for 5-6 minutes, or until softened. Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer, then add the mussels and cover with a lid for 4-5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened. Discard any unopened mussels, then stir in the cream and parsley. Remove the cooked mussels from the pan and reduce the sauce down by about a third. Stir in the basil, remove the mussels from their shells and return to the sauce. Discard the shells.
6. Serve the stuffed pepper in a shallow dish with the mussel and basil sauce spooned around the edge.
