Rooftop Gourmet

Moules Frites is the French name for the classic combination of mussels and french fries. Pronounced ‘mools freets’, this pairing has taken on all sorts of adaptations over the years. As the prime mussel harvesting season comes to a close, I decided to make my own version of the dish.

 I picked up two sacks of Maine mussels at Whole Foods and threw them on ice in the back of my car. Remember, when you buy mussels they’re still alive so always keep them chilled and do not seal the plastic bag that they come in or else they will suffocate. To save me some time meticulously cutting russet potatoes into perfect strips for the french fries, I broke out one of my Christmas presents; a French mandolin.

 A mandolin is a guillotine looking contraption that has all sorts of sharp blades and attachments that produces any type of cut, slice, or shape you can possibly imagine. It’s like a grown up version of the Play Doh maker without the rainbows and purple spaghetti.

After watching the video tutorial, I managed to produce about two pounds of perfectly identical french fries without losing a finger. After my huge pot of canola oil came to perfect frying temperature (325 degrees), I started dropping in the potato planks in small batches to prevent sticking.

 Most people are afraid to deep-fry at home but if you get a candy thermometer and monitor the temperature of the oil, it is pretty simple.

 I was going for a Thai inspired version of this dish so when the fries came out of the hot oil, I tossed them in red curry powder and chopped, fresh cilantro.

The mussels needed a quick shave, or de-bearding before they got cooked; mussels have a small “beard” that sticks out of the shell that needs to be removed before you cook them. Simply pinch it and tug it out. Most of my mussels only had a four o’clock shadow and didn’t need much cleaning so I rinsed them under cold water and set them aside so I could build the broth. I started by sauteing some shallots and garlic in olive oil until they were soft. Then I added a heaping tablespoon of red curry paste, lime juice, coconut milk, and fresh basil.

 Once the broth came to a simmer, I added the mussels and put the lid on for them to steam.

 All of these flavors started to come together and filled the air of my apartment; the acidity of the lime juice balanced out the creamy, sweet coconut milk and the heat from the curry paste was tamed by the fresh basil. Once all of the shells had opened, I served the entire meal in the pan I cooked them in with some lime wedges and sliced green onions. Sometimes I just get in the mood to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty when it comes to lobster, peel and eat shrimp, or in this case… a huge bowl of mussels.

The fries were extra crispy on the outside but still cooked perfectly in the middle; delicious when dipped into the coconut milk.

 I chose a crisp, refreshing white wine to pair with this meal because there was just so much flavor going on already. The 2007 Fournier Sauvigion Blanc from the Loire Valley was perfect. Like I mentioned before, whites from this region of France are some of the best valued wines around.

 The great acidity complimented the shellfish and subtle flavors of grapefruit and wet stone lingered on the finish. This is a great inexpensive wine for bivalves or seafood in general, that tastes like an expensive Sancerre. I was fortunate that all of the flavorful broth was sopped up before we broke into the second pound of french fries or else my mussels would be turning into fat.