Pancetta, Fennel, and White Wine Steamed Mussels

 

I have had plenty of mussels at restaurants, but this was my first attempt at home. This recipe is the result of my compiling of different mussel recipes. Between the pancetta, fennel, and wine, there was quite a bit of flavor.  I also boiled the broth for a few minutes prior to adding the mussels which also helped concentrate the flavor.

As you can see I served the mussels with toasted french bread. I just spread butter mixed with garlic, parsley, and salt onto slices of bread and baked at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Pancetta, Fennel, and White Wine Steamed Mussels

Ingredients

2 pounds Fresh Mussels (in The Shell)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 cup Diced Pancetta
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1  shallot Sliced
2 bulbs Sliced Fennel
1 cups White Wine
1 cups Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley

Preperation

I first soaked the mussels for 20 minutes in water to remove any sand. Then wash and scrub mussels. Remove any beards, then set aside.

In a large pot with a cover, heat olive oil over medium heat. Then add pancetta, garlic, shallots, and fennel. Cook until pancetta has browned and the rest are soft.

Then add wine and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add mussels to the pot and cover the pot. Steam for 10-12 minutes until all mussel shells are open. Discard any mussels that did not open.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve the mussels in the broth.