Moules et Frites Surprise
A Stylishly Sleek, Great Looking Version of Mussels and French Fries
Aug 12, 2009
There’s something inherently romantic about sharing a large bowl of mussels. Whether it’s the fact that seafood has a reputation as an aphrodisiac, or the sensual almost intimate manner in which mussels are eaten (gently released from their glistening shells so that they slip easily from their casing into expectant mouths) they’re the perfect choice for a special dinner for two.
Like most seafood, mussels are also ridiculously easy to cook. This Moules et Frites Surprise recipe rewards a little effort with a sexily stylish dish which looks sophisticated enough to grace the tables of the finest restaurants and tastes good enough to guarantee some ‘MMMMMMMMMMMM’ moments.
Based on the classic popular Belgian dish, Moules et Frites Surprise works particularly well served with French fries and mayonnaise – possibly the one and only time that serving up a portion of French fries could be described as romantic.
The ‘Surprise’ element of this dish is the addition of chillies and garlic which add a splash of colour and an extra ‘ooh la la’ to the flavour.
Ingredients for Moules et Frites Surprise
- 1 kilo mussels
- 50g butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 100 ml white wine
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 green chilli finely chopped
- 1 red chilli finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
For two people
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Preparation for Moules et Frites Surprise
The most time consuming aspect of cooking mussels is cleaning them.
Wash the mussels in plenty of cold water. Using a short sharp knife, cut away any barnacles on the shell. Always carefully cut in the direction away from the body. Remove any ropy beard with a sharp tug, ensuring that stray ‘threads’ are also removed. If any shells are even slightly open, remove from the water and give the shell a couple of sharp taps with the blade of the knife. If the shell doesn’t close don’t take any chances, bin it. It’s usually a sign that the mussel is already dead and therefore not fresh.
- Place all the mussels, butter, onion, chillies, white wine, garlic and 1 tbsp of the parsley in a large, heavy bottomed pan.
- Turn the heat to very high and cover.
- Every 30 seconds, or so, remove the lid and turn the mussels with a slotted spoon.
- Keep doing this until all the mussels have opened to reveal their wonderfully orange flesh. This should only take 4 to 5 minutes. If there are still any shells that haven’t opened, discard them.
- Once the shells have opened, remove the pan from the heat and leave for about 1 minute. Some mussels can have grit in their shells and this way, most of the grit will fall to the bottom of the pan.
- With a slotted spoon, dish the mussels and the chilli, garlic and onion mixture into a large bowl and pour some of the juice from the pan over the top, being careful to not use any of the juices from the bottom of the pan.
- Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve with a bowl of French fries, a bowl of mayonnaise and a light and frisky Chardonnay.
Cook’s Tip: This has got to be served in a setting with subdued lighting. Candlelight is perfect as it enhances the sheen from the mussels’ shells… and it can help disguise any wayward dollops of mayonnaise which might have attached themselves to the chin and could ruin that romantic moment.
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