| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons ground fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- Zest of half orange
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- French bread, for dipping
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the onions in the butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the fennel seed, red pepper flakes, garlic and orange zest and cook until fragrant, stirring, another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and deglaze the pan with the wine, allowing it to bubble for a minute. Lower the heat to medium, add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the prepped mussels and cover to steam until the mussels open, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream, stir until incorporated and remove from the heat. Serve immediately with sliced French bread for dipping.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 443 |
| Total Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 31 g |
| Cholesterol | 122 mg |
| Sodium | 794 mg |
Reviews
I made this recipe several times and always received many compliments. I will continue making it.
Fantastic, easy, and something I’d been wanting to try since the day I saw the recipe (I was on the road at the time.) I’d never cooked or eaten mussels before so the little tips about which ones to cook and which to toss (as well as the shell-pinch trick) were invaluable. This meal will definitely be gracing our table again, and on our student budget, often!
This is a great recipe that makes the mussels taste like you’re in France, pulling off the road and ordering mussels at a roadside stand. Using the first shell as a tool is the way I learned also; but one additional tip: As you finish each mussel, instead of just tossing it into a pile — put the next empty shell “into” the previous shell. After 15 or 20 shells you have a sort of shell boat. It’s a neat way to discard the shells — at a restaurant it never fails to get attention. If I’m really bored waiting, I put in a straw vertically and use a napkin as a sail — sort of a viking ship!
Very easy and tasty, can use any other shellfish too. I prefer leaving out the hvy cream and instead I use a paste of equal parts butter to flour and keep in the fridge at the ready. A few tsps. of it at the end thicken the broth w/less fat. To “mominaBox” below. I almost fell off my chair when you said you are landlocked and must buy 2 lbs. mussels for $14. Sorry to learn that. I had no idea the cost of ours here, on Long Island, NY, selling at $3.99 for 2 lbs was such a steal. Wow! Here a cheap meal I guess. I guess Melissa’s cost of $10 per meal was for east coast mussels.
There are no words to express how awesome this dish was. We where practicly licking our bowls!! the only thing that I did diferant was I used Vegitable broth and I couldnt find my fennel seed so I used Italian Seasoning. It was so good, the orange zest was the best part of the dish. Amazing … thanks so much!
Its a lovely recipe but coz i and my family dont like hot or spicey food i used chopped spring onions or chalottes and a pinch of mint and mixed herbs instead. also feashly ground black pepper totally enjoyed !!! Will look out for more recipes . Ive only jusy digned up today and enjoying already !!!
This broth would taste good on cardboard, and believe me, being on a low carb strategy right now I thought about it. This is sooo good. Yum! Capital Y. Not many people in our family will eat mussels, so I do not buy the Penn Cove mussels from Costco often. There are too many mussels in the package to eat by myself. The fish choices were not good Friday so I bought the big bag of mussels. It’s like they are giving them away there. My nephew and brother in law were coming over, and we ate them! Oh, we could not stop eating them! Yum. The fennel seed and orange zest is perfectly balanced. The cream gives this a lovely smoothness. Not enough o’s in smooooth! The heat is perfect. So easy, so delicious. Really typical of Melissa’s recipes. Makes me look good in the kitchen. Easy. Of course, I had to make something else for the people who won’t eat mussels. But as Melissa says, the kitchen relaxes me, and I do love to cook!
Loved this recipe. I will definately make again.
Our family loved these mussels!!! They were so easy to make and incredibly delicious!! We used half and half instead of the cream (since that is what we had on hand. I loved how it added that slight creaminess to the broth. I could have eaten the broth as a soup it was so good!! We will definitely be making this again. Thanks Melissa for the tasty recipe!
I’ve never made mussels before. My kids and I were watching the show and they begged me to make them. Hands down, this was the best seafood dish I’ve ever made. The broth is delicious! My entire family inhaled the 2 lbs of mussels. I love the flavor of the fennel and using the bread to soak up the broth. Keep bringing these recipes, Melissa!