A deliciously indulgent take on a European classic.

Words: Extracted from Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Else by Daen Lia

For me, cooking with mussels is not only about their sweet and salty taste but also about their sound. I love listening to their shells clattering on the sides of my metal sink as I wash them clean, or my pan rattling from side to side as the mussels cook – their shells popping open and releasing their salty brine into the sauce. This recipe is my take on a very traditional Belgian recipe, moules-frites, which translates to ‘mussels and fries’.

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1–2 kg mussels
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 French shallots, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
125 ml (½ cup) white wine
100 g unsalted butter
handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
½ lemon

French fries:
800 g russet, yukon gold or desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into chips
iced water
2 litres light olive oil (or a mix of light olive oil and vegetable oil)
sea salt flakes

METHOD

To make the French fries, place the potato in an ice bath and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes. This will remove the starch from the potato.

Drain the potato and place on a work surface lined with paper towels. Use additional paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible.

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the light olive oil to 140°C. Using a slotted spoon, carefully add half the potato to the oil and cook for 5 minutes. It’s important to do this step in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan. Transfer the cooked fries to a tray lined with paper towels. Repeat with the second batch of potato. Place the fries in the fridge or freezer for 1 hour or ideally overnight. Reserve the oil for the second fry.

For the second fry, bring the oil to 180°C. Using a slotted spoon, carefully place half the fries in the pan and cook for 8 minutes or until golden and crispy. Transfer to a wire rack with paper towel underneath to allow the excess oil to drip off. Repeat this step until all the fries are cooked.

Place the fries in a large bow and sprinkle with salt.

Debeard the mussels by pulling their beards in an upward motion away from your body until you can pull them out of the shells. Clean the shells under running water and scrub the mussels with a wire scourer until all barnacles have been removed.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in an enamelled cast-iron casserole dish and fry the shallot and garlic for 5 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Stir occasionally to prevent the garlic from burning.

Increase the heat to medium and add the white wine. Cook until the white wine has reduced by half.

Reduce the heat to low and add the butter to the dish. Stir the butter through the sauce until it has completely melted.

Increase the heat to medium, add the mussels to the dish and stir them through the sauce. Pop the lid on the dish and leave the mussels to steam for 10 minutes or until all the shells have opened.

Take the mussels off the heat, sprinkle with the parsley and squeeze over the lemon juice. Serve immediately with the French fries.

Tip: If you can’t be bothered making the fries, simply fry some bread in olive oil to scoop up all of the delicious sauce.

---

Recipe and images extracted from: Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Else by Daen Lia, Macmillan, RRP $49.99