(serves 2)

1 lb. Monkfish
1 oz. Butter
1 lb. Fresh Mussels in the shell.
1 glass white Wine
1 small bunch Fresh Fennel (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon Pernod
2 tbs. Cream
2 oz. Butter

Rinse the mussels under cold water and remove the beards.
Put them into a pot with the glass of white wine.
Put the lid on the pot and put on the heat.
Shake the pot from time to time and leave on the heat until all the mussels are open.
Take off the heat and spoon out the mussels.
Strain the mussel juices carefully through a cloth to remove all sand.
Discard the top shell of the mussels but leave them in the half shell.
Trim all skin from the monkfish and cut it into half inch cubes.
Melt the butter in a pan and when foaming toss in the monkfish.
Fry this quickly in the hot butter until brown and just cooked through.
Put this in a mound on two plates and put the mussels in the half shell around them.
Put in a warm place (a low oven) to warm the mussels.
Put the cream, the mussel juices, the pernod and the chopped fennel into the pan and bubble it for a few minutes on a good heat.
Cut the butter into little dice and whisk this into the sauce while it is bubbling.
Once the butter has melted spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.