Mussels with fennel, saffron and spinach recipe

When I was 18, Dad took me on a business trip to Europe to the Cannes TV festival. It was a seminal trip for a parochial Australian girl. He took me to my first three-Michelin-starred restaurant and one of the things I remember eating was a bouillabaisse. Dad loved it too. It’s a dish I’ve cooked for 40 years, a simple mussel, fennel and saffron soup, perfect for what I call family-style eating, which I love; a large dish in the centre of the table and everyone digging in.

Timings

Prep time: 20 minutrs

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves

Four

Ingredients

• 1kg live mussels

• 1 glass of dry white wine (about 180ml)

• 2 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped

• 4 bay leaves

• A few thyme sprigs

• 10 black peppercorns

• 1 medium fennel bulb

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 tsp saffron threads

• 250ml water

• 250ml crème fraîche

• 150g young leaf spinach, well washed

Method

1. First clean the mussels thoroughly. Remove any beards and seaweed and wash well under cold running water.

2. Pour the wine into a large, heavy-base saucepan, add the shallots, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns and bring to a simmer. Tip the mussels into the pan, increase the heat slightly and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan now and then.

3. Trim the base of the fennel and discard the outer layer, then slice finely.

4. Tip the mussels into a colander set over a bowl to catch the liquid. Wipe out the saucepan and return to a low heat. Add the butter and once it has melted, add the fennel, saffron and a little salt and pepper. Sweat for about 10 minutes until the fennel is soft.

4. Discard any unopened mussels. Strain the mussel cooking liquor and add it to the fennel with the water and crème fraîche. Stir well and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add the spinach and mussels. Cook for a further minute to wilt the spinach and warm the mussels. Check the seasoning.

5. Ladle into warm bowls and serve with crusty bread and unsalted butter.

Recipe from ‘A Year in my Kitchen’ by Skye Gyngell (Quadrille, £25)