What is it?

Pernod is an anise-flavored liqueur from France, which lends a licorice-y flavor to whatever it’s added to. It has a particular afffinity with seafood dishes. Classically used in bouillabaisse and oysters Rockefeller, it’s also delicious added to mussel-cooking liquid and cream sauces for fish.

Of course, you can also drink it, as the French do: Fill a tall glass with ice and add one part Pernod to four parts water.

Don’t have it?

Other anise-flavored liqueurs, such as absinthe or Pastis, can lend a similar flavor to dishes, though the products are not identical; go slowly when substituting and adjust the amount to taste.

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Warm Spiced Olives

  This recipe gives you two hors d’oeuvres in one—fragrant spiced olives and an infused oil that’s perfect for dipping crusty bread.

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  Recipe

  Fennel, Red Onion, and Parmigiano Gratin

  Pernod, an anise-flavored liqueur, bolsters the fennel’s flavor in this rustic gratin topped with coarse whole-wheat crumbs.

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  Recipe

  Rigatoni with Sun-Dried Tomato and Fennel Sauce

  So you couldn't resist buying that big jar of sun-dried tomatoes—but now that you're home, you're not sure what to do with them. No worries. With this tasty creamy sauce…

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  Recipe

  Tomato Soup with Fennel, Leek & Potato

  Loaded with fennel and potatoes, this hearty tomato soup is perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich, but a fresh spinach salad would make the meal too. For an elegant twist,…

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  Recipe

  Grilled Tomato, Goat Cheese & Olive Mini Pizzas

  You can make your own pizza dough or find it at the grocery store, you can even try your favorite pizzeria—most will sell their dough. Sambuca or Pernod makes a nice sweet contrast with…

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  Recipe

  Shrimp with Fennel, Tomato & Pernod Sauce

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  Recipe

  Braised Cod with Fennel, Potatoes & Littlenecks

  You could use halibut in place of the cod.

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  Recipe

  Sautéed Shrimp with Orange, Basil & Pernod

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  Recipe

  Angel Hair Pasta with Mussels & Tomato Sauce

  Steaming the mussels directly in the pasta sauce streamlines the recipe and means more flavor in the sauce. If you don’t have Pernod, add 1/4 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds.