Mussels with Tomatoes & White Wine

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add fennel, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are just starting to brown, 30 seconds to 4 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, wine, stock (or clam juice or broth), salt and pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in mussels. Cover and cook just until the mussels have opened, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat (discard any unopened mussels). Stir in fennel fronds (or basil), if using. Serve with the sauce from the pan.

Tips & Notes

• Tips: Bottled clam juice can be very high in sodium. We like Bar Harbor brand, which has 120 mg sodium per 2-ounce serving. Look for it in the canned-fish section or the seafood department of your supermarket.
• When shopping for mussels, look for ones that are closed—or those open only a fraction of an inch. When you get them home, store them in a large bowl with a few damp paper towels on top for up to 1 day. To clean them, discard mussels with broken shells or whose shell remains open after you tap it. Hold mussels under running water and use a stiff brush to remove any barnacles; pull off any black fibrous “beards”. (Some mussels may not have a beard.) Mussels should be “debearded” no more than 30 minutes before cooking.

Nutrition