Steamed Mussels In Saffron Broth
Published March 2, 1996
- Total Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 bulb fennel, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pinch powdered saffron
3 tablespoons fresh or canned tomato puree
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups fish stock or chicken stock
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 pounds mussels, preferably small ones, scrubbed and debearded
Crushed red pepper to taste
Saffron-aioli toasts (recipe follows)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
19 grams carbs; 66 milligrams cholesterol; 350 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1051 milligrams sodium; 34 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oil in a heavy, three-quart saucepan. Add the onion, fennel and garlic, cover and sweat over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the saffron, tomato puree, wine, stock, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for one hour. Strain.
- Step 2
Just before serving, reheat the tomato mixture to a simmer. Add the mussels, cover and steam until the mussels open, about 10 minutes.
- Step 3
Using a slotted spoon, divide the mussels among four soup plates. Season the broth to taste with pepper flakes and pour over the mussels. Serve at once with saffron-aioli toasts.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a great recipe! Great flavors! I usually grill mussels in a white wine sauce base. But making the sauce separately on the stove and adding it at the end makes it much easier to get excellent results (and an easier clean up). I grilled the mussels with 1/2 cup white wine in an open paella pan, then spooned them into large serving bowls. I then stirred the remaining wine/saline broth from the pan into the saffron broth from the stove before pouring over the mussels in the serving bowls.
I used (due to missing ingredients at beach) Rosemary and sweet onion with ripe chopped tomatoes,bay leaf, read pepper flakes and parsley. Everyone loved it especially the broth brined by mussels!
Mussels were cooked separately - heat a large stainless steel pot, prepare one cup of dry white wine with a splash of lemon juice, a couple cloves of crushed garlic and 2 bay leaves, pour the wine mix in the hot pot and toss mussels in, cover, steam for 2 minutes, shake the pot vigorously, steam for another 1-2 minutes. Remove mussels and place into serving bowels, strain cooked mussels juice before mix with saffron sauce. Scoop sauce into mussels, sprinkle parsley or cilantro, serve.