Weekends In The Kitchen

We love to spend the weekends cooking in the kitchen and trying new recipes. Saturday we woke up to rain and a very chilly day making it the perfect day to stay indoors warm and cook a few dishes. In the afternoon, we opened a bottle of wine, played some music, and I made this autumn salad while the hubby put together a small cheese plate. We nibbled on those dishes while we started to cook the main dish - mussels in sherry cream sauce inspired by one of our favorite restaurants in Savannah. It really was the perfect day and the sound of rain made it extra special.Mussels in Sherry Cream Sauce2 oz pancetta1 Tbsp unsalted butter1 Tbsp olive oil1 fennel, small, thinly sliced2 shallots2 Tbsp garlic, minced1 Tbsp chopped tarragon1/4 tsp red pepper flakes1 cup white wine1/4 cup sherry1 Tbsp Pernod {anise-flavored liqueur}, optional2 1/2 cups seafood stock1/2 tsp saffronjuice of 1 lemonzest of half lemon2/3 cup heavy cream2 dozen mussels, cleaned1. In a heavy stock pot, cook the pancetta until crispy. Set aside.2. On medium heat, add the butter and oil.3. Add the fennel and cook until it begins to soften.4. Add the shallots, garlic, tarragon, and red pepper flakes and cook for a couple minutes.5. Add the wine, sherry, and Pernod and cook until it simmers.6. Add the seafood stock, saffron, lemon juice and the zest.7. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.8. Add the cream, mussels, and cooked pancetta and cover it with the lid.9. Cook until the mussels begin to open up about 5 minutes.10. Discard the mussels that didn't open.Serve with slices of French baguette. Enjoy!Items in this post:Celina Mancurti Napkin, West Elm Gold Flatware, Williams Sonoma Bowls {similar here}, H&M Small Cheese Board