Creamy Mussel Stew With Peas, Fennel and Lemon
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1large fennel bulb
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for brushing
- 1large leek, white part only, cleaned and finely chopped
- 4garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- ¾cup dry white wine
- 3tablespoons Pernod
- 2pounds fresh mussels, rinsed
- ⅔cup chicken or vegetable stock
- ½pound fresh English peas, shelled ½ cup
- 2tablespoons crème fraîche
- ¼teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- Fine sea salt
- 2slices country-style bread, ½-inch-thick
Preparation
- Step 1
Chop and reserve ¼ cup fennel fronds. Peel and discard the outer layers from the bulb, then finely chop the bulb and coarsely chop the stems.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped fennel bulb, leek and garlic cloves. Cook until the fennel and leek are golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the fennel stems, wine and Pernod. Cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the mussels to the pot. Cover tightly and cook until most of the mussels have opened, 5 to 7 minutes (discard any remaining closed mussels). Transfer to a large bowl and cover loosely with foil.
- Step 4
Heat the broiler. Strain the liquid in the pot through a fine sieve into a small saucepan, pressing down on the solids with a spoon. Add the stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the peas and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the crème fraîche, lemon zest, salt and chopped fennel fronds. Cover to keep warm.
- Step 5
Drizzle the bread with oil and place it under the broiler until just golden, about 1 minute. Place a slice of bread into each of two bowls. Mound the mussels on top of the bread, then ladle the broth over everything.
Private Notes
Comments
A fantastic mussel dish! Melissa Clark is the best! I decided to not strain the liquid and just enjoy all of the fennel and leeks, which were delicious. I used the fennel bulb only and did not add the chopped fennel stems. I also omitted the Pernod, because I didn't have it, but didn't seem to miss it.
Absolutely fantastic!!!! Very quick and easy to make. Similar to Lisa, I did not have Pernod and just added in a bit of additional wine. The fennel stalks and fronds make this dish--definitely add them if you have them! They add texture and another layer of flavor! I did not drain the liquid because I wanted the veggies--no reason to let them go to waste! Amazing with a toasted rustic Italian loaf. Can't wait to make this again!
What kind of fork is that in the photo??? It's not a mussel fork, I think.
I didn't have Pernod, so I substituted in 1 tablespoon of absinth. It gave a subtle hint of anise that the Pernod was supposed to give. It was delicious and I will be making it again.
Delicious! 2 lb would easily serve 3-4, much more than we thought was needed for 2. Next time I’ll cut the mussels down to 1 lb but keep everything else the same.