Mussels Steamed in White Wine with Fennel, Saffron, Orange & Pastis

With September comes the time to enjoy the best shellfish. Shellfish are best consumed and freshest during months with an “R” in them. At least that is the old “folklore” behind them. Now, with the onset of farming mussels which has been done for centuries in Europe and finally in the States since the 1970’s you can safely enjoy them year round, but for the wild mussels stick with the month with an R theory. For wild mussels, it is also ecologically more sustainable to skip them during the summer months as this is the time they spawn.

Mussels are lean, and full of vitamins A, B12, iron and zinc. But who cares!!! They are delicious and can be enjoyed in so many different ways. Try them steamed, stuffed or on top of Spaghetti in a spicy rich red pasta sauce. Made French, Spanish or Asian. You can do so much with them.

My favorite will always be Mediterranean style. I am very partial to Saffron and use it often. Saffron is the stamen of a Mediterranean crocus flower and it has to be gathered by hand. This accounts for the high price, making it the most expensive spice in the world. I use Persian Saffron, because I have a very generous friend who always brings me some, and it is the best. But Saffron is readily available at all grocery stores and a few pinches are available in small containers for 5-10 dollars. Do not do this recipe without the saffron, it makes it special with no substitute available that imparts the same rich, umami flavor. The orange peel and Pastis make it a French Provincial recipe.

Serve with fries and some large chunks of French bread to sop up the broth.

After years of experimenting with mussels. This is my favorite way to prepare and enjoy them.

Prep Time; 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Serve: 4 for dinner, 8 for appetizer

Ingredients:

4 Lbs. mussels

4 Tbs Olive Oil

2 cups chopped white onion

6 peeled garlic cloves, sliced lengthwise

1 whole fennel bulb with green fronds attached

9 Roma tomatoes

1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs, or 1 tsp dried thyme

1 8 oz. jar of clam juice

1 ½ cup dry white wine

Zest of ½ orange

Large pinch of Saffron

1 Tbs Pastis

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Slice the fennel bulb into very thin rounds, slice in half again so that you have half circles. Reserve the fronds. Chop the green leaves of the fronds to add at the end. Deseed and chop your Roma tomatoes. Wash the mussels under running water. Discard any mussels that are open. You can test the mussels to see if they are ok by gently tapping them on the counter. If they close, you can use them, if they remain open, discard. Place the olive oil in a large stockpot on medium heat. Add in the fennel and the onions and sauté until translucent and soft, just a few minutes. Add in the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot with the thyme sprigs, the clam broth, the orange zest, the white wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a slow simmer. Add the saffron threads and the Pastis. Most recipes call for a pinch of saffron. This is my favorite spice so I usually add two pinches. Add the mussels. Use tongs to stir around all the ingredients and coat all of the mussels. Cover the pot, return to a simmer. Uncover every 2 minutes to toss the mussels around. Cover again each time. When all of the mussels look like they have opened you are ready to serve. The mussels should only take around 5-6 minutes if your mixture simmers first and your keep it covered between tossing the mussels. Discard any mussels that have not opened, they are not good, but make sure they had the chance to be steamed open by tossing them around while cooking. You would not want to throw away good mussels. Pour the mussels with the broth into a large serving bowl. Top with 2-3 Tbs of the reserved chopped green fennel fronds.

Serve with either French Bread or Sourdough Bread. Serve in bowls and pour sauce over mussels in each bowl. Encourage your guests to dip their bread into the broth and soak it up. This is the best part, piling the onions and fennel on top of a drenched piece of bread is really good. This is a Mediterranean style recipe and is good served with French fries as they typically would be in Europe.