Yield: 4 servings
Extra-virgin olive oil, divided use – 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves, thinly sliced – 3
Onion, brunoise – 1
Small fennel bulbs, brunoise – 2
Celery stalks, brunoise – 4
Carrots, diced – 2
White wine, divided – use 1 cup
Fish, chicken or vegetable stock – 1 cup
Anise liqueur – 1/4 cup
Saffron – 1 pinch
Salt – to taste
Pepper – to taste
Shallots, chopped – 2
Prince Edward Island mussels, scrubbed – 2 lb.
Butter – 1 Tbsp.
Chopped chives – 3/4 cup
Method:
- Heat half of olive oil in large sauté pan; sauté half of garlic. Add onion, fennel, and celery and sauté 5 minutes. Add carrots, 1/2 cup white wine, 1/2 stock and licorice liqueur, saffron, salt and pepper and simmer until carrots are tender; set aside.
- Heat remaining oil and sauté with remaining garlic, and shallots, 5 minutes. Add mussels, remaining white wine and stock; cover to cook until shells open. Remove mussels from shells and discard. Add fennel mixture to mussels, stir in butter, chives and season with salt and pepper. Serve with fennel-seeded bread.