Mussels in White Wine with Garlic and Fennel
A pot of shells and broth in twenty minutes flat, best eaten with bread instead of a spoon.
- Serves
- 2
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Written
Method
-
Tap any open mussels against the counter and discard the ones that don’t close.
-
Heat the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat and cook the fennel until it softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
-
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-
Pour in the wine and bring to a boil.
-
Add the mussels, cover, and steam until the shells open, 4 to 6 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice.
-
Discard any mussels that stayed shut.
-
Off the heat, stir in the butter, lemon juice, and parsley until the broth turns glossy.
-
Ladle mussels and broth into bowls, and serve with bread for mopping.
Notes
The only real risk here is overcooking — pull the pot the moment the shells gape, because another two minutes turns tender mussels rubbery. A mussel that refuses to open, before or after cooking, is dead and goes in the trash, not the bowl.
The broth is the point as much as the shellfish, so don’t skimp on the bread. If you want it to stretch further, toss the finished broth through a pound of cooked linguine instead of serving it in bowls.