Moules Frites
French Bistro Style Mussels and Chips/Fries
I adore Moules Frites - for me it is quintessential French Bistro food at its best - plus I love tactile eating! You can treat yourself to Moules Frites anywhere in France, and for most of the year. I often make the "Moules" part at home - Moules Marinière - but now and then, for a treat I also do the "Frites" bit as well......chips or French fries! Serve these with lots of paper towels or napkins, and a glass of chilled white wine would be the perfect accompaniment! I bought special Moules Frites dishes, as shown in the photos, but a couple of bowls would be fine - and don't forget a large bowl for the shells. If you really want to be 100% authentic, it is de rigueur to serve the frites with mayonnaise my dear.....sinfully good! Vive la France!
MOULES |
| 1 |
kg fresh mussels |
| 1 |
large onion, peeled and finely chopped |
| 1 |
large shallot, peeled and finely chopped |
| 2 |
fat garlic cloves, peeled and crushed |
| 1 |
teaspoon chopped fresh thyme |
| 1 |
tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley |
| 1 |
tablespoon chopped fresh chervil |
| 50 |
ml olive oil |
| 150 |
ml dry white wine, such as Muscadet |
| 1 |
teaspoon Pernod (optional) or pastis (optional) |
| 2 |
tablespoons creme fraiche (optional) |
FRITES or CHIPS |
| 2 |
large potatoes, peeled and cut into thin strips |
| 1/4 |
teaspoon salt |
|
oil, for deep frying |
Frites/Chips:.
- Slice the potato into thin strips (2mm x 2mm) and rinse in salted water. Heat a deep fat fryer to 325°F/160°C (preferably using sunflower or groundnut oil). Place the frites/chips in and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- Moules/Mussels:.
- Tip the mussels into a large bowl of cold water, rinse and then drain well and pull away any 'beards'. (Fresh mussels look black and shiny and should only smell pleasantly of the deep sea - the vast majority should be tightly closed. Avoid any that smell 'fishy', look dry or are mostly open.).
- Place the chopped onion, shallot and garlic in a saucepan with the olive oil, gently sweat them over a low to medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until slightly soft.
- Add the chopped herbs, and pernod or pastis if using and mix with the onion mixture.
- Add the washed mussels to the pan and cover with dry white wine, bring slowly to the boil, then simmer gently whilst stirring. Continue until the mussels have opened - discard any that do not open, this can take between 2 to 5 minutes.
- Add the creme fraiche if using, mixing through the cooked and opened mussles. Cover until the frites/chips are cooked.
- Whilst the moules are cooking, turn up the deep fryer to 375°F/190°C and salt the frites/chips. Add the frites/chips back to the oil for around 1 minute until golden and crispy.
- Serve the moules in a deep bowl with the frites/chips on the side - providinf plenty of napkins and a large bowl for the shells.
- Note - to make the best frites/chips your uncooked frites/chips should be washed in cold water and dried thoroughly before cooking.
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