Mussels Scented with Anise

Pedoci all’Anice

Preparation info
  • Serves

    2 to 4

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
La Terra Fortunata

By Fred Plotkin

Published 2001

  • About

I tasted this dish in Aquileia, close enough to the sea for the mussels to be fresh, yet drawing particular fragrance from the land. Pedoci is the word in this region for mussels (in most of Italy, it is cozze; in Liguria, it is muscoli).

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
  • ½ cup/125

Method

Add enough water to cover the bottom of a heavy broad skillet or a pot. Add the olive oil and wine and stir. Begin to heat the liquid over medium heat and add the anise leaves. Swirl for a couple of moments, add the mussels, cover.

Cook until the mussels have opened fully, approximately 5 minutes; discard any that have not opened.