Mussels ala Ela

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 ½ g mussels
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 1 can of tomatoes (825 g)
• 150 g bacon, streaky
• 2 cloves garlic
• 8 anise (star anise)
• 1 tsp tarragon
• 200 ml sweet cream
• 400 g cheese (medium Gouda), grated
• 250 ml dry white wine
• some butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

baked mussels

For the sauce, dice the bacon and sauté in a little butter. Crush the garlic, crush the star anise in a mortar, and add both to the bacon. Add the tomatoes with their juice and cream and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Then puree well with a hand blender until smooth. Add the tarragon and season with salt and pepper. The sauce tastes truly delicious when combined with the mussels and cheese. Clean the mussels thoroughly. Trim the soup vegetables, cut them into large pieces, and sauté them in butter. Deglaze with wine and steam the mussels with the lid on until they have fully opened. Then remove the lid from the mussels and place them on a baking sheet, shells side by side. Drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 180°C on the middle rack until the cheese has melted. Serve with white bread and a delicious white wine.