RECIPE / ONE REALIZATION
The following recipe offers a classic approach to the preparation of moules-frites. However, the sauce the mussels are cooked in is very rich, consisting of milk, onion, garlic, white wine, lemon juice, butter, parsley, salt, and pepper. The key to extra tasty frites lies in preparing them in beef fat, and frying them twice, always in small batches.
← Back to the dish overviewRECIPE INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Scrub the mussels and scrape them with a sharp knife to remove the "beard".
Heat the butter in a large saucepan and sauté onion and garlic until soft. Pour in wine and lemon juice. Bring to boil and simmer. Stir in milk and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil again and leave to reduce slightly.
Add mussels. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until mussels are open. Discard any unopened mussels and serve with crusty bread for dipping.
To make the frites, melt beef fat in a large fryer. When melted, the level of the fat must not be higher than half the height of the fryer. Instead of fat, you can use vegetable oil, but the results are not the same. Heat the fat to 325°F.
Peel the potatoes and rinse in cold water. Pat dry with a clean towel or kitchen paper and cut the potatoes into sticks.
Put the potato sticks in the fat or oil and let fry until tender: they need to achieve deep yellow color. Fry in small batches.
Take the frites out the fat with a slotted spoon and put them on a layer of kitchen paper. If your fryer has a basket, just lift the basket and put the frites on the paper. At this point, the frites can wait several hours, they may even become cold, waiting for the final preparation.
Heat the fat up to 190°C/375°F. Put the potatoes into the fat in small batches until they are crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Do not cover the frites, because they will become soft. Salt to taste.
OTHER REALIZATIONS
The following moules natures recipe is a no-nonsense version that is prepared with only a few basic ingredients, namely mussels, onion, and celery. The moules are, as always, served with some crispy frites and mayonnaise, but the steps include a tip on how to make the original Flemish mussel sauce.
In this variant, the mussels are cooked in a sauce made with beer — pale ale, to be more precise. Onions, shallots, and celery accentuate the taste and give body to the mussel sauce.
In this variant, known as moules marinières, the sauce the mussels cook in is infused with white wine, which leaves mussels floating in a delicious sauce. Onions, celery, thyme, bay leaves, and butter are also used in the preparation of the sauce. Although the fries come as a natural addition, some toasted bread might come in handy.
The creation of the famous chef Gordon Ramsay, this recipe is an aromatic version of the classic dish: white wine, herbs, cream, and Pernod are in charge are responsible for some extra taste. In addition, the recipe gives not only instructions on how to prepare mussels but also how to prepare the frites and the mayonnaise to accompany the dish.
USEFUL NOTES
An old saying claims that seashells may only be consumed in months containing the letter "R" in their name – from January to April, and then again from September do December. Luckily, fresh mussels are available throughout the whole year if stored properly. Only live, fresh mussels are acceptable for preparing moules-frites. They need to be closed firmly or slightly open – if they do not shut after you have touched them, they need to be discarded. Wash them in cold water and remove "the beard" (a patch of seagrass they used to hold on to) right before preparation. Since they are filled with saltwater, there is no need to add salt to this dish.
The best potatoes for frites are the sorts with high starch ratio — Belgians use a variety called Bintjes. To make them crispy, they need to be fried twice: first in medium heated oil (140°C/285°F), and then in hot oil (190°C/375°F). Drain them on a paper towel between two rounds of frying and salt them before preparation.
The mussels and the fries are usually served separately, mussels often coming in the same pot they were cooked in. If consumed in company, Belgians often eat the moules from the same pot, using the lid to dispose the empty shells.