• a selection of as many types of lettuces and salad leaves as are available, e.g. iceberg, endive, rocket, oakleaf and butterhead
• 1 tomato peeled, seeded and flesh cut into 7mm dice (concassé)
• salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar
• 2 spring onions (scallions)
• 24 mussels
• 1 avocado
• sprigs of watercress to garnish

French Dressing

• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or arachide oil
• 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
• 1 small clove garlic (made into a paste)
• 1 tiny spring onion (scallion) finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of finely chopped parsley
• a pinch of mustard
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Liquidize or whisk the ingredients for the dressing.

Wash and dry the required amount of salad leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces. Season the tomato concassé with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Cut the scallions, both green and white parts, into slices at an angle. Wash the mussels well, put them into a heavy frying pan in a single layer, cover with a folded tea-towel and place on a low heat. As soon as the shells start to open, lift them from the pan, take the mussels from their shells and remove the beard as you do so.

Halve and peel the avocado, remove the stone, cut the flesh into 7mm dice and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Just before serving, toss the salad leaves gently with French dressing – just enough to make the leaves glisten. Arrange the salad on 4 white plates, heaping it slightly in the centre. Arrange the warm mussels and avocado on the salad as appetizingly as possible. Sprinkle with tomato concassé and sliced scallions. Garnish with sprigs of watercress and serve immediately.