Christopher Styler's Mussels Steamed Over Tomatoes And Fennel Seeds

• 12 medium-sized mussels (about 3/4 pound)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon roughly chopped Italian parsley
• 1 cup diced, drained canned Italian plum tomatoes
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Rinse the mussels under cold running water.
2. Scrub the shells thoroughly and pull out and discard the beards, the wiry substance that protrudes from between the flat sides of the shell.
3. Drain the mussels thoroughly.
4. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
5. Add the fennel seed and the parsley.
6. Cook until the fennel is fragrant, but not browned, about 1 minute.
7. Stir in the parsley and cook just until it turns bright green, about 10 seconds.
8. Carefully stir in the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Add the wine and cook 1 minute.
10. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low.
11. Simmer just until the tomatoes are softened and begin to release their liquid, about 3 minutes.
12. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
13. Add the mussels to the skillet.
14. Cover and steam, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mussels open, about 4 minutes.
15. Spoon the mussels and the liquid into a bowl and serve.

mussels, olive oil, fennel seed, italian parsley, italian plum tomatoes, white wine, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6085 (may not work)