Salad of Mussels, Fennel & Saffron-dressed Potatoes

Name: Salad of Mussels, Fennel & Saffron-dressed Potatoes
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 6 large kipfler potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm slices; 2 bulbs baby fennel, trimmed; 20 ml red wine vinegar; 150 ml extra virgin olive oil; freshly ground black pepper; handful of sliced fennel fronds [from the baby fennel]; 12-18 basil leaves, torn into small pieces; 6 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into julienne; 24 small black olives; 1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised with the flat of a knife; 1 teaspoon saffron stamens; 1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced; a splash white wine or dry vermouth; 48 small to medium black mussels, scrubbed and ‘beards’ removed

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

French

By Damien Pignolet

Published 2005

About

I first made this dish in the early 1980s at Claude’s. The palate is one of those instantly delicious combinations that evoke the sunny south of France. Success is assured by dressing the potatoes while they are hot so that the flavours marry.

Ingredients

48 small to medium black mussels, scrubbed and ‘beards’ removed
a splash white wine or dry vermouth
1

Europe
Oceania
Australia
France
Fish course
Pescatarian
Gluten-free
Mediterranean

Method

Place the mussels in a wide sauté pan that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the wine or vermouth, sliced garlic and ½ the fennel trimmings. Cover and place over high heat. Shake the pan once or twice until steam emerges, then take off the lid and remove the mussels as they open; discard any that do not open. When they are cool enough to handle, remove all except 12 of the mu