Ingredients

* 1 tbs. olive oil
* 1 cup chopped fennel bulb
* 2 cup julienne onions
* 3 tbs. minced shallots
* 2 tbs. minced garlic
* 1/2 cup Pernod
* 1/2 cup peeled and chopped Italian plum tomatoes
* 2 cups white wine
* 40 mussels, cleaned and debearded
* 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
* loaf crusty French bread

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. When the oil is hot, saut? the fennel, onions and shallots for 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Remove the saut? pan from the heat and add the Pernod?. Place the saut? pan back on the heat and flame the vegetables for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the tomatoes and wine and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the mussels and parsley, cover and steam the mussels until all of the shells have opened, about 4 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open their shell. Remove the mussels and let the broth cook for 2 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove the broth from the heat. Divide the mussels between two large shallow bowls. Spoon the broth over the mussels. Serve the mussels with the crusty bread.