Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4 as an hors d'oeuvre
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
With a vegetable peeler remove three 3-by-1/2-inch strips orange zest. Cut remaining peel and pith from orange with a sharp knife and discard. Cut out fruit sections from between membranes, discarding membranes, and finely chop enough fruit to measure 1/3 cup, reserving remaining fruit for another use.
Step 2
In a large saucepan cook garlic paste, shallots, chopped fennel, and fennel seeds in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until chopped fennel is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine and zest and boil 1 minute. Add broth and return to a boil. Add mussels and cook, covered with a tight-fitting lid, over high heat, checking them every minute, 3 to 8 minutes, transferring them as they open with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl. (Discard any mussels that are unopened after 8 minutes.)
Step 3
Stir into broth chopped orange, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and spoon over mussels.