STEAMED MUSSELS WITH SAUSAGES AND FENNEL

Steamed Mussels with Sausages and Fennel image

Provided by Josie Le Balch

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

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2 pounds sweet or hot Italian link sausages, divided
2 large onions, sliced (about 6 cups), divided
2 large fresh fennel bulbs, sliced (about 6 cups), divided
6 garlic cloves, crushed, divided
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, divided
3 cups dry white wine (about one 750-ml bottle), divided
6 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 16-ounce crusty French or sourdough baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, divided
Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
Chopped fresh Italian parsley

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Using fork, pierce sausages all over. Heat each of 2 large cast-iron skillets or other large ovenproof skillets over medium-high heat. Add half of sausages to each skillet and cook meat until browned, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add half of onions, half of fennel, half of garlic, and half of dried crushed red pepper to each skillet. Add 1 cup white wine to each skillet and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until sausages and vegetables are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Add 1/2 cup wine, then 1/2 of mussels to each skillet; transfer skillets to oven and roast uncovered 5 minutes. Carefully remove skillets from oven; top each skillet with enough baguette slices to cover completely. Return skillets to oven; bake uncovered until mussels open and bread slices begin to brown, about 5 minutes longer (discard any mussels that do not open).
Drizzle bread in each skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve mussels and sausages directly from skillets.