Could I Use Sambuca Instead Of Beer For The Dutch Mussels?

Our answer

Nigella's Dutch Mussels are a slight variation on the classic moules marinère, with the shallots and white wine being replaced with beer and fennel. The mild anise notes match well with seafood and the beer provides a slight bitterness to balance the sweetness of the plump mussels and braised fennel.

Sambuca is a spirit that tastes of liquorice as it is flavoured with anise. It will amplify the flavour of the fennel and dill, but is also likely to make the overall dish taste sweeter so you will lose a little of the balance. Also, Sambuca has a much higher alcohol level than beer, so you should not replace all of the beer with Sambuca as you will likely still taste some alcohol. Our preference would be to use beer as the main cooking liquid and let the natural flavour of the fennel shine through.