This is a mussel recipe where you’ll eat the broth before you get to the mussels. The fennel and tomato give it a great fresh flavor. Add a fresh crisp baguette and you’ll be set.

Ingredients

4.5 lbs Fresh mussels, in shells
1 Onion
2 Leeks (white only)
2 Fennel or celery stalks
2 Garlic cloves
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
2 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup Dry white wine (Off-dry Riesling is good)
2 tbsp Pastis or Pernod or Arak
28 oz Diced tomatoes
1 Pinch dried parsley
1 Pinch dried Thyme
Fresh french bread

Preparation

• Well scrub mussel shells under cold, running water; reserve [do not soak shells in water].
• Chop onion, leeks, fennel or celery stalks, garlic and fennel seeds.
• Into a large casserole, heat olive oil over medium heat; add onion mixture for approximately 5 minutes, until leeks are soft.
• Do not brown vegetables.
• Mix in dry white wine, Pastis and tomatoes.
• Salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bring to a boil; simmer for 5 minutes.
• Mix in mussels, parsley and thyme.
• Cover; cook over high heat, until shells open-up, approximately 5 minutes.
• Throw away unopened shells.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove mussel shells from casserole.
• Remove mussels from shells; arrange mussels onto individual plates, or into shell halves, as you would oysters.
• If using fresh parsley and thyme, remove sprigs from sauce.
• Cook sauce, over high heat, for 5 minutes.
• Pour sauce over mussels and serve immediately.