Midye dolma

Step 1: Scrub 36 large live mussels and pull off the beards. Tap any open ones on the worktop: discard any that don't close, and any with cracked shells. Soak the rest in cold salted water for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Warm ¼ cup olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and cook 3 onions for 10 minutes, until soft and pale gold. Add 1 oz pine nuts and stir for 2 minutes, until golden.

Step 3: Add 7 oz short-grain rice and stir for 2 minutes, then add 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 oz currants, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Pour in 200 ml of the 1 cup hot water, cover and cook on a low heat for 8 minutes, until absorbed but the rice is still firm. Stir in 1 tsp dried mint and cool.

Step 4: Slide a small knife in at the pointed side of each mussel and open it like a book without separating the halves. Loosen the mussel from the top shell so it stays in the bottom.

Step 5: Fill each with a teaspoon of rice and close the shell. Common mistake: overfilling; the rice swells and pushes the shells open.

Step 6: Pack the mussels tightly in a pan, hinge side down, set a heatproof plate on top and pour in the rest of the ½ cup hot water. Cover and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, until the rice is fully tender and the mussel meat is firm and cooked through.

Step 7: Discard any mussels whose shells have cracked or stayed gaping. Cool to room temperature and serve the same day with 2 lemons.