Name: Steamed Mussels with Fennel, White Wine, and Tarragon
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1/4 cup minced fresh tarragon; Salt and pepper; 1 (12-inch) baguette, cut on bias into 12 (1-inch-thick) slices; 1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb quartered, cored, and chopped; 1 1/2 cups dry white wine; 4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

6 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup minced fresh tarragon

Salt and pepper

1 (12-inch) baguette, cut on bias into 12 (1-inch-thick) slices

1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb quartered, cored, and chopped

1 ½ cups dry white wine

4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded

Why This Recipe Works

Simmering the broth for a few minutes before adding the mussels allows the fennel to soften and flavor the broth.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine butter, garlic, 2 tablespoons tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Spread 5 tablespoons butter mixture on 1 side of baguette slices. Place slices, buttered side up, on rimmed baking sheet.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter mixture in Dutch oven over medium heat and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add fennel, cover, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to simmer and cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Add mussels to pot, cover, and cook until mussels open, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring twice. Remove pot from heat and transfer mussels to serving bowls using slotted spoon, leaving accumulated mussel broth in pot.

Broil baguette slices until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Stir remaining 2 tablespoons butter mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons tarragon into broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour broth over mussels and serve with toasted baguette slices.