Moules-Frites and the Order to Cook it in

make yourself complicated meals!

I’m in the business of making complicated meals for myself and the people I love. A good meal often comes down to timing, how and when you do things. I’m no expert, but I don’t think most recipes do a good job speaking to this. Usually, they are organized by component, and all the steps for each element take place in a vacuum.

So for this recipe, everything is written in exactly the order I did it, with elaboration on the choices I made, and suggestions of choices you can make. Maybe this will be confusing. At the very least I can say it is true to how I make moules-frites.

Ingredients:

2 or 3 potatoes, I usually use russets for fries

2 pounds mussels

1 egg

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 clove garlic

1 cup neutral oil

big pinch of salt

more oil or animal fat for frying

2 Tbsp butter

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 shallot, sliced

another 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup white wine

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped or use celery leaves if you have them

Start by cutting the potatoes into your desired shape. Peeling is optional. I’m a big shoestring guy, but moules-frites are Belgian, and Belgian frites tend to be thick, so I split the difference. When making fries, you need to soak or thoroughly rinse the cut potatoes to remove any surface starch, which can cause uneven browning and inhibit crispiness. I get them soaking in cool water before I start anything else.

Next, add your mussels to a bowl or sink filled with cold water. Examine each. If the mussel is open and doesn’t close or otherwise respond when touched, it is dead and should be tossed. Mussels will often have a stringy “beard” hanging, which should be removed. Scrape or brush away any debris or barnacles and set aside.

I love dipping my fries in homemade mayonnaise. You can make it with the listed amounts in the traditional fashion by mixing your egg, mustard, garlic, and lemon juice, then slowly drizzling in the oil while whisking to emulsify. However, if you have an immersion blender, there is no reason to not use this technique.

While you’re making the mayonnaise, have a pot of oil (or tallow, I guess) coming up to 290° F over medium-low heat. Drain the soaked potatoes and give a final rinse. Dump out onto a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Drop the fries into to the oil and let cook until barely tender, but not yet brown. It depends on the size of the fry, but it should take about 3-5 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the oil and keep an eye on the temperature, working in batches if necessary. Let drain on a wire rack and increase the heat. The final fry will be at 350° F.

This is a good time to chop up all your aromatics and preheat a skillet/pot for your mussels. Once the oil is nearly up to temp, drop your butter into the empty skillet, followed by the celery, shallot, and garlic. Cook stirring until just soft before adding the wine.

At this point, I would suggest dropping the mussels into the working pan and the fries into the hot oil at the same time. Cover the mussels with a lid or spare baking pan, and give the fries an occasional stir. The fries should be golden brown and crispy around the same time the mussels are just opening up, about 4-6 minutes. If you need to fry in batches, drop the final batch and the mussels at the same time. Once the mussels are cooked, cut the heat and sprinkle all over with the chopped parsley.

Wow! Everything is perfect at the same time, put it on a plate. If you’re new, this might take a little practice, especially because cooking times will always vary. Try to have fun and always cook with care and intention, enjoy!