Mussels

I don't know what it is about mussels, but it's one of the 5 foods I am obsessed with. Ever since my friend, Bonnie, and I had Cozze en Bianco at our local Italian restaurant chain, we've been on a hunt for the best mussels in Palm Harbor.  Some are too big, some have disgustingly sweet red sauce from a jar, and we've even had some (gasp!) that were not fresh. She has a knack for picking out which are fresh and which are frozen. We finally agreed the best mussels in town are the ones we make.  The following recipe is a combination of many variations on the dish. You'll see that I've developed most of my recipes that way. I just take what I like from one recipe and something from another and make it my own. I made this dish tonight and my 13 year old said, "Awesome, Mom!" That's the best compliment I could ever hope for. As for wine, I chose a Sauvignon Blanc.  Babich Black Label from New Zealand has a 2008 that was fruity, but had a strong body that went well with the mussels. I used it in the recipe and also served it with the mussels.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup shaved fennel bulb
1 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup Sambuca (or other licorice flavored liquor)
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 stick butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice and zest of one lemon
3 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
chopped basil, parsely, oregano

Saute onion, fennel and garlic in oil until soft. Add red pepper flakes, Sambuca, butter, lemon juice and zest, and wine, bring to boil. After mussels are cleaned, add them to the pot, cover, and reduce heat to medium. When mussels start to open, add fresh chopped herbs, and stir pot so broth and mussels mix well.
Serve in large bowl with plenty of bread to soak up the broth.

My son likes red sauce, so I throw in a can of diced tomatoes along with the wine, then serve it all on top of a plate of spaghetti.