Steamed Mussels With Pernod Celery Root And Saffron Aïoli Recipes

Steps:

• Holding mussels under cool running water, scrub with a stiff sponge or vegetable brush, then debeard: grip the tough fibers extending from the shell and pull to remove. Discard beards.
• Steep saffron in wine for 10 minutes. (Saffron is soluble in water, not fat, so it won't release its color or flavor if added directly to the butter.) Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat in a shallow stockpot. Once it's foamy, add shallots, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until shallots are transparent and garlic is soft, about 3 minutes, stirring every so often to keep garlic from scorching. Pour in wine and saffron, then add tomatoes and return to a simmer, stirring once or twice.
• Add mussels and cover tightly. Cook until all mussels open, about 6 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Discard any unopened mussels. If using wild mussels, strain broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove any sand, if necessary. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with parsley before ladling mussels and broth into bowls.

Steps:

• Make aioli:
• Combine 1 tablespoon hot water and saffron in medium bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in mayonnaise and garlic. Season to taste with salt. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Make mussels:
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add celery root, leek, carrots, chopped celery and 4 tablespoons parsley. Stir to coat. Cover pot and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add mussels, wine and Pernod. Increase heat to high. Cover and cook until mussels open, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open). Remove from heat. Season cooking liquid to taste with salt and pepper.
• Whisk 1/2 cup cooking liquid into aioli to make thin sauce. Ladle mussels and remaining cooking liquid into 6 bowls. Drizzle each serving with some aioli. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve mussels, passing re-maining aioli separately.

Steps:

• Combine sliced leeks, dry white wine and red bell pepper in large pot. Add mussels. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover pot and cook until mussels open, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer mussels to medium bowl (discard any mussels that do not open). Add whipping cream and Pernod to pot; boil until liquid is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Mix in chopped parsley. Return mussels and any accumulated juices to pot. Simmer until mussels are warmed through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. Serve mussels with broth.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan. When the oil is hot, sauté the fennel, onions and shallots for 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Remove the sauté pan from the heat and add the Pernod®. Place the sauté pan back on the heat and flame the vegetables for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the tomatoes and wine and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the mussels and parsley, cover and steam the mussels until all of the shells have opened, about 4 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open their shell. Remove the mussels and let the broth cook for 2 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove the broth from the heat. Divide the mussels between two large shallow bowls. Spoon the broth over the mussels. Serve the mussels with the crusty bread.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy, three-quart saucepan. Add the onion, fennel and garlic, cover and sweat over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the saffron, tomato puree, wine, stock, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for one hour. Strain.
• Just before serving, reheat the tomato mixture to a simmer. Add the mussels, cover and steam until the mussels open, about 10 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, divide the mussels among four soup plates. Season the broth to taste with pepper flakes and pour over the mussels. Serve at once with saffron-aioli toasts.