Mussels With Fennel Duo Food

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH FENNEL AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and fennel; cook until just soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and season with salt and pepper; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are just soft, about 4 minutes. Add the vermouth and boil to reduce slightly. Add the tomatoes and tarragon, then cover the pot and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup water and the mussels. Raise the heat to high, cover and cook until the mussels open, 3 to 5 minutes. (Check halfway through and transfer any open mussels to a serving bowl.) Transfer all the mussels to a serving bowl, discarding any that do not open. Season the sauce with pepper and, if needed, salt, and pour over the mussels. Serve with the bread.
• Photograph By Antonis Achilleos

MUSSELS WITH CHORIZO AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and chorizo and saute for about 2 minutes. Then the celery, garlic, tomatoes, fennel and onions, and saute until tender but not too soft, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add the mussels, and saute again until the mussels start to pop open. Add the clam juice and wine and cover the skillet. Steam the mussels until they open, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove any mussels that didn't open, and transfer the rest from the skillet to a serving bowl(s), leaving the liquid behind. Add the butter and simmer until the liquid reduces a bit, about 2 minutes.
• Pour the liquid over the mussels and serve with a delightful crusty bread.

MUSSEL AND FENNEL BISQUE

Steps:

• Combine mussels and wine in large pot. Cover; bring to boil. Boil until mussels open, about 5 minutes (discard any that do not open). Using tongs, transfer to large bowl. Pour cooking liquid through strainer set over 8-cup measuring cup. Add enough clam juice to cooking liquid to measure 5 cups. Remove mussels from shells; place in small bowl. Discard shells. Cover mussels and chill until ready to use, up to 8 hours. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cups fennel cubes and carrot; sauté until fennel is slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add clam juice mixture, rice, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; partially cover and simmer until rice is tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree in blender. Return to saucepan.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup fennel cubes; sauté until crisptender, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. do ahead Bisque mixture and sautéed fennel can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool slightly. Chill bisque mixture uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Cover and chill fennel. Bring bisque mixture to simmer before continuing.
• Add whipping cream, brandy, and mussels to bisque mixture; bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle bisque into 6 bowls. Sprinkle sautéed fennel cubes atop bisque. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds and parsley, if desired.
• What to drink:
• Try a crisp white wine with the bisque. We like the very affordable Snoqualmie 2007 Sauvignon Blanc ($8) from Washington State.

MUSSELS WITH FENNEL DUO

Steps:

• In a large, wide pot that can comfortably hold the mussels, toast the fennel seeds over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the oil, butter, fennel, and a pinch of salt. Raise the heat to high and cook until the mixture is bubbling and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest.
• Add the mussels and wine and cover. Cook, shaking the pot occasionally, just until the mussels open, about 10 minutes. Toss in the basil leaves.
• Divide the mussels and all of their cooking liquid among serving bowls.

MUSSELS WITH FENNEL AND ITALIAN BEER

Steps:

• Heat a 3 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat another 30 seconds. To the hot pan, add the shallots and fennel. Sweat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until fragrant and beginning to soften, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook another 2 minutes. Add the mussels and stir gently once or twice in order to coat in the oil. Add the beer and stir one more time. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the mussels have opened, about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through. Discard any unopened mussels. Stir in the butter and tarragon and season with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Serve with slices of crusty bread to dip in the sauce.

MUSSELS WITH CREAM, FENNEL, AND WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped fennel, shallots, garlic and fennel seeds. Sauté until fennel is tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cream and boil until liquid thickens, about 10 minutes. Add mussels. Cover and cook until mussels open, about 5 minutes. Divide mussels among 6 shallow bowls (discard any mussels that do not open). Ladle broth over and serve.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH FENNEL AND OUZO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat on the grates of the grill. Stir in shallots and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in fennel and tomato, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Add white wine and ouzo and reduce by half. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in mussels, 1/2 the basil and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook until the mussels are open, discarding any that do not. Stir in the remaining basil and serve in large bowls with grilled bread.