Mussels, fennel and wine

One of the most economical types of seafood you can eat, mussels are sometimes a forgotten source of joy for solo cooks. More’s the pity, as they’re plentiful and nutritious. Although this is a fast dish to cook, be aware that mussels require a little attention beforehand.

INGREDIENTS

500g mussels, rinsed under cold running water and scrubbed

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 fennel bulb, finely chopped (reserve the fennel fronds to garnish at the end)

1 shallot, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced 1 small bay leaf 50-75ml dry white wine 25g butter

Grated zest of ½ unwaxed lemon and a spritz of the juice Sea salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper Bread, to serve (I like a big crunchy baguette)

METHOD

Tap any mussels with open shells. If they remain open after a few minutes, discard them. To remove the “beard” that pokes out of the shell, hold the mussel and yank the beard out in the direction of the mussel’s hinge. Place the mussels in a bowl of cold water for an hour or so.

Heat the oil in a medium pan over a low-medium heat, add the fennel and fry for five minutes, then add the shallot. Fry for one minute, then add the garlic. Fry for a further minute.

Add the bay leaf and wine. Crank up the heat, bring the wine to a simmer and add a crack of pepper. Finally, add the mussels and cover. Cook over a medium-high heat until the mussels steam open: small ones will only need a couple of minutes, larger ones three to four minutes.

Transfer the mussels to a bowl and whisk the butter into the pan to emulsify the sauce. Add the lemon zest and juice, taste the sauce and season – the mussels will release quite a lot of salinity, so you may not need to add salt.

Discard any closed mussels and serve in a shallow bowl with the sauce, scattered with the fennel fronds, along with whatever bread you fancy.