Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 kg mussels
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 bulb of fennel
• 20 g butter
• 250 ml dry white wine (e.g., Riesling)
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 150 ml heavy cream (at least 30% fat)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Sort the mussels. Discard any open shells and brush closed ones under running water, removing any debris. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them with the flat side of a large knife. Clean the fennel, wash if necessary, halve it, remove the tough core, and dice the flesh into small cubes. Finely chop the fennel fronds.

2. 2.

   In a pot melt the butter, sauté the crushed garlic and diced fennel for 1-2 minutes, then pour in the white wine and season with salt and pepper. Add the mussels to the pot and cook covered over high heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove any still closed shells and set aside the cooked ones to keep warm.

3. 3.

   Bring the broth back to a boil, stir in the cream, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and simmer over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Arrange the mussels on preheated deep plates, pour the creamy fennel sauce over them, and sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds. Serve with fresh bread and garlic butter.