APPETIZER
For garlic cream sauce:
* 1 pound butter, softened slightly
* 1 pound cream cheese, softened slightly
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh garlic
* 1/2 tablespoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For fennel broth:
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 2 fennel bulbs, cleaned, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced
* 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
* 3 medium tomatoes (about 1 pound), chopped
* 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
* 6 pounds mussels, scrubbed well and debearded
* 2 fresh oranges, quartered
To make garlic cream sauce:
The day before using, make the garlic cream sauce: Combine butter and cream cheese in bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add garlic, salt and pepper and process until well blended. (Alternately, use a stand mixer fitted with paddle blade to combine all in mixing bowl.) Put mixture into tightly covered container and refrigerate overnight.
To make fennel broth and complete dish:
Heat oil in bottom of large (14-inch) skillet. Add sliced fennel and onions; saute over medium-low heat until fennel is fragrant. Do not brown. Add stock, and simmer for 20 minutes, until broth is flavored and reduced just slightly. Pour fennel broth into bowl and reserve.
Return skillet to stove over medium heat. Melt garlic-cream mixture, stirring and adjusting heat as needed to prevent scorching. Add chopped tomatoes, basil and fennel broth; stir and cook until mixture is smooth. Add mussels. (Note: Depending on their size, you will need to cook the mussels in 2 to 3 batches. Do not stack them more than three deep in pan or the weight of mussels on top will prevent those on bottom from opening.)
Cover and steam until mussels are opened; about 4 to 6 minutes.
Divide cooked mussels among 8 serving bowls; pour some of the broth over all. Squeeze a quartered orange wedge over each bowl and serve at once with crusty bread for dipping into the broth.
Makes 8 servings.
Per serving:
748 calories, 81 percent calories from fat, 67 grams total fat, 40 grams saturated fat, 209 milligrams cholesterol, 20 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams total fiber, 7 grams total sugars, 16 grams net carbs, 16 grams protein, 637 milligrams sodium.
