Name: Tarragon and vermouth mussels
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 long shallots thinly sliced; ½ a bulb fennel thinly sliced; 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced; 100ml dry vermouth; 1kg mussels cleaned and debearded; 75ml double cream; a handful of leaves tarragon roughly chopped; crusty bread to serve

A black bowl filled with open mussels in a creamy sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
2 long shallots
thinly sliced
½ a bulb fennel
thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
thinly sliced
100ml dry vermouth
1kg mussels
cleaned and debearded
75ml double cream
a handful of leaves tarragon
roughly chopped
crusty bread
to serve

Method

step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat, add the shallot and fennel with a pinch of salt, and cook for 10 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelise. Add the garlic and cook for another minute before pouring in the vermouth and seasoning well. Bring to the boil, then tip in the mussels and toss really well. Put on the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan every now and again, until the mussels have just opened. Discard any mussels that remain unopened.
step 2
Remove the lid, stir in the cream and scatter in the tarragon. Spoon into bowls and serve with crusty bread.