Tuesday, March 22, 2011

table three mussels



One of my BFFs from highschool, Cathy, married a chef, John. Currently he is head chef at Table Three Restaurant in Wildwood, MO, and cathy runs front-of-house there. When I won the RFT award, they came up with an awesome idea to celebrate... let me help plan a menu for one night at Table Three. Seriously, y'all, I have some of the best friends a girl can ask for. I don't know how I got so lucky! Anyway, the dinner will be April 13th... a Wednesday night, which also means 20% off bottles of wine. I am very excited about this.

Last fall, John was on t.v., on a local show, Great Day St. Louis, doing a cooking demo. He made mussels with fennel. I love mussels. I LOVE fennel. The recipe also includes capers, butter, wine, garlic... so much goodness!!!! And, yes, the recipe lives up to expectations. It's also light-speed fast and extra-easy. The hardest part is finding the Pernod, a french, anise-flavored liquor. But any big liquor store should have it. (side note... now in search of cocktails to make with Pernod. Anybody?)


Table Three's Mussels

1 T. Olive oil

2# Mussels

¼ small bulb Fennel (thin slice)

2 ea. Sun dried tomato (julienne)

2 T. Capers

1 t. Garlic (minced)

¼ c. Perno
d
¼ c. White wine

2 oz. Butter

1 T. Fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon, chive, dill)

Salt and pepper to taste

Crusty French bread

Heat olive oil in large sauté pan and add mussels, fennel, sun dried tomato, capers and garlic sauté until the fennel softens and the mussels begin to open. Deglaze with Pernod, add white wine, then the butter. Finish with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.

Serve in large bowl with crusty French bread.
 

2 comments:

Courtney said...

These look fantastic! I'm usually very timid when it comes to cooking shellfish at home.

I ate there for the first time a few weeks ago and had the roast chicken--done the new way, not the way described on the menu. From my memory of what the server said, it was cooked in a pressure cooker (though still gorgeously brown & roasty) and white truffle oil was involved. It was absolutely divine--truly the archetype of what roasted chicken can be. I'm now shopping for a pressure cooker because of that dish.

Is there any chance you can get some tips on how they are doing their roast chicken? The pressure cooker recipes for roast chicken that I have found online can't seem to agree on whether you brown the chicken before pressure cooking or put it under a broiler to crisp the skin afterward, or both.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Great looking recipe. I love mussels, and will give this a try.

You can use Pernod in any cocktail recipe that calls for Absinthe (there aren't that many). The two best are the Corpse Reviver and the Sazerac.

If you like anise flavor, you can simply dilute the Pernod with cold water (I'd definitely serve on the rocks, but some people don't). It's a nice sipping drink on a hot summer afternoon, if you're in the mood for it. I like anise, but just so much, so for me a little Pernod goes a long way.