Moules Frites

If you like fish and chips but want to class things up a little bit for a perfect date night dinner for two, moules frites is the perfect meal for you. The presentation and flavors of the cooked mussels in a broth of white wine, butter, and their own juices looks impressive and complex, but in reality, is super simple to pull off and allows a few ingredients to pull together for a wildly flavorful dish. The fresh, meaty mussels bring a bite of briny goodness that is perfect when chased down with a crispy, salty, oily fry. Is there anything better than that? Follow along for all of my favorite tips to master this deceptively simple seafood dinner:

How To Make Moules Frites

INGREDIENTS

• French Fries: I like to use our double-fried French fries, but feel free to use whatever preparation you like: our oven fries, homemade French fries, or even your favorite brand of store-bought frozen fries.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Check out our olive oil guide to find the best—and worst—oils at every price point and level of complexity.
• Shallots: Shallots have a flavor that is similar to a more mellow onion. They are aromatic and punchy, but after cooking in the olive oil will have a sweeter flavor. They are great here, where we want some onion flavor but don’t want to overpower the more subtle flavors in the dish.
• Garlic: You can never go wrong with garlic. Here it will add plenty of flavor and aroma to the white wine sauce.
• White Wine: Any dry white wine will work here, but you don’t need to break the bank. Go for something that is affordable but drinkable, just be sure it is dry.
• Mussels: Mussels are a seafood favorite the world over. They are meaty, can be found in abundance, and honestly are just fun to eat. If you have never cooked mussels before, don’t fret, they are actually very easy to find and cook well. Check out our guide for how to cook mussels, and get to cooking.
• Butter: Butter is going to lend some fat and flavor to the white wine broth. This will help give it a little bit more depth and flavor.
• Parsley: Some freshly chopped parsley adds a pop of color and freshness while also bringing a green, peppery bite to the dish.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Since I’m using our double-fry method for the French fries, we need to start this recipe off with our first fry of 3 minutes in oil heated to 325°. Remove the fries from the oil and place on a paper towel lined baking sheet while the oil comes up to 375°.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, then add in the shallot to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Then add in the garlic and continue to cook and stir for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Deglaze with the dry white wine and allow the mixture to come up to a simmer. Allow the wine to simmer uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes until it has reduced to about half of its original volume. Add in the mussels and cover immediately.

Allow the mussels to cook for 10 to 12 minutes, occasionally shaking the pot, until all or most of the mussels have opened. As the mussels are cooking, add the fries back into the fry oil and fry them for another 4 minutes at 375°. Remove the fries from the oil, season them with salt, and set aside.

Once the mussels are finished cooking, remove them from the pot and place them in a large bowl, taking care to discard any that failed to open—this means they are not safe to eat. Add the butter to the simmering white wine sauce and stir until fully incorporated. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, and then add in the chopped parsley.

Pour the sauce over the mussels and serve alongside the fries.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• The fresher the better. With all seafood, the fresher the better, and this is especially true with mussels. When selecting the mussels take note of a few things. They shouldn’t smell overly fishy. Fresh mussels have a slightly salty, oceany smell, but shouldn’t have any strong odor. Mussels should be alive when you purchase and cook them; if they are dead they will release toxins that are not safe to eat, so be sure to check before you cook. Live mussels may open due to changes in temperature and environment, but if you tap them with another mussel or your knuckle, they should respond and close their shell.
• Sort and clean your mussels. Even if you do a close inspection before purchasing a bag of mussels, there may still be a few dead ones in the group. When you get them home, toss any dead mussels and begin cleaning the others. Run the live mussels under cool water and scrub them with a clean brush or sponge to remove any dirt or grit on the surface. Some mussels will have a beard—a thin scraggly tuft of fibers they use to attach to rocks or ropes—which needs to be removed as well. Pinch it between your fingers and pull it up and down until it detaches.

Storage

Moules frites is a dish best eaten fresh. Neither the mussels nor the fries will reheat especially well. Technically, you can store the cooked mussels in an airtight container, completely covered in the white wine broth, in the refrigerator for 1 day, though I do still recommend finishing them all while fresh.