Mussels with fennel, leek and dark ale

SERVES 2

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) large mussels – the best mussels to buy are locally grown ones; green-lipped mussels are gorgeous eating also

25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 leek, mostly white part only, sliced

1 fennel bulb, finely sliced

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) dark ale or lager

440 g (15½ oz) tin chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Clean and scrub the mussels, and remove the hairy beards. Set aside.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium–low heat. When the butter has melted, add the leek and fennel and gently sweat them for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Remove from the pan.

Add the beer and then the mussels to the pan, put the lid on and turn the heat to high. Bring to the boil and steam the mussels, shaking the pan once or twice to get the liquid swirling around them. When the mussels have opened (this should take 3–5 minutes), remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mussels to a colander. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened.

Strain the cooking liquid over a large bowl to remove any grit and bits of shell, then return the liquid to the pan. Bring to the boil and add the tomatoes, dill and the leek and fennel mixture. Simmer gently for a few minutes to combine the flavours. If the mussels are super fresh they may be full of sea water, which can make this dish quite salty, so make sure you taste the liquid before seasoning with any extra salt. Return the mussels to the pan to warm through.

Serve in big bowls with crusty bread and a spoon to slurp up the fantastic juices.

Beer Notes

Try Matilda Bay Dogbolter Dark Lager, White Rabbit Dark Ale, Moo Brew Dark Ale or a German dunkel style (‘dunkel’ being German for ‘dark’) from brewers such as Lowenbrau, Erdinger, Paulaner or Beck’s. Don’t forget to check with your local micro-brewery to see if they are brewing a dark ale or a dunkel