Mussels in Fennel Sauce
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INGREDIENTS 6 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
8 tablespoons butter, 5 tablespoons cut into pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup finely chopped fennel
1/2 cup court bouillon, see recipe
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cayenne pepper
Finely cut chives
Finely chopped fennel leavesIn a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the shallot and sauté it until soft. Then add the mussels, wine, fennel and court bouillon. Cover the pot and bring the contents to a boil. Shaking the pot occasionally, steam the mussels for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the shells open. Then remove the mussels, take the meat out of the shells and set the meat aside. Discard any unopened mussels.
Strain the cooking liquid and boil it to reduce it to about 1 cup. Add the cream and, stirring frequently, boil until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Gradually whisk in the butter pieces. Stir the mussels into the sauce and season the mixture with salt, pepper and cayenne. Add the chives and fennel leaves. Serve immediately.
Serves 4