Servings one – two
- 20 Large mussels – cleaned in fresh water and beards removed
- 2 Large oven-dried or sundried plum tomatoes cut julienne
- ¼ Medium size fennel bulb roasted and sliced thin
- ¼ Pound chorizo or your favorite spicy sausage
- 1/3 Cup of your favorite white wine
- 5 Tablespoons of butter (room temperature)
- 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs (thyme, Rosemary and parsley)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 – 5 Slices of your favorite bread, toasted or grilled
To oven-dry tomatoes, cut in half and toss with olive oil salt and pepper. Place in a 200 degree oven for 2 hours.
In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté chorizo 1 – 2 minutes until some of the color has come out of the sausage. Add fennel and dried tomatoes and sauté another minute. Add mussels and white wine; cover and steam until mussels open (4 – 5 minutes). Remove cover and let wine reduce by 1/3. Reduce heat to low, add butter and simmer until the wine and butter become a sauce. Remove from heat and toss with chopped herbs; salt and pepper to taste (mussels can be salty so taste before adding).
Enjoy this with a nice summer ale or glass of white wine and use the grilled bread to soak up the sauce.
Enjoy!