Moules Frites is the quintessential French summer food.
One sees it on chalk menu boards on the sidewalks and cardboard signs in the windows, everywhere, all summer long, sometimes as the only item advertised.
And when Moules Frites are on the menu that is what at least half of the diners will be having for lunch: big bowls brimming with mussels on every table, the diners happily slurping away.
The best way to have them is at a sidewalk cafe on the coast in summer with a bottle of rose.
The proper way to eat them is to use one half shell as the eating utensil, scooping up the flesh and a bit of sauce, with plenty of bread to dip.
As a lunch or light dinner one would have Moules Frites - Mussels with Chips (French Fries); as a first course, the moules would be sans frites.
While you can normally get them in 1 of 3 flavors: Curry (must be for the Brit's); with chopped tomato; the traditional Moules Marinieres, or fisherman style is, by far, the most popular. It is amazing that such simple peasant fare with so few ingredients can be such heaven to eat....and simple to make: Here is a recipe (Note: I said 'a' not 'the' as there are as many variations, albeit minor ones, as there are cooks) for the classic.
Moules Marinieres - for Two
4 lbs (2 kilos) fresh mussels
1/2 cup butter (100 gr)
2 large shallots, finely chopped
4 tbs parsley, chopped
1 bay (laurel) leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1/2 bottle dry white wine
1 tsp cornstarch stirred into 1/4 cup creme fraiche
Cleaning: Dump the mussels into a dry sink
and look at them. Any idea what to do with them? I didn't the first
time, but we learn. First thing, after the clattering in the sink (I
meant 'dump' literally) they should all be closed. For any that are
not, tap lightly on the shell. If they don't close throw them away -
they are already dead and we don't want them. If they are not cleaned
(ask the fishmonger - lovely word, that... they probably are where you
live - not for me) they need the barnacles (lumpy bits) scrubbed off
with a brush and the beards - the stringy bit hanging out of the shell
that they use to attach themselves, pulled off. Just grab and pull
toward the hinge. Once they are cleaned, sort through them tossing any
that are very tiny (not worth the effort) or seem heavier than they
should be (probably full of sand). Set mussels aside - well done! You
don't have to be perfect with the cleaning... many people don't bother!
Cooking: Melt half of the butter in a pot large enough to
easily hold all of the mussels. Saute the shallots until they become
translucent, Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, vinegar, wine and
mussels. Cover and bring to a boil quickly. After 2 - 3 minutes lift
the cover and check the mussels. If they are open they are done. If
not, cover and give them another minute. When they are done remove the
mussels and put into two large bowls, discarding any that did not
open. Leave the sauce in the pan. Stir the remaining butter into the
sauce, then add the cornstarch/creme fraiche mixture. Heat through and
pour over mussels. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information for: entire recipe / per serving, (2 servings)
Calories: 1804/ 902
Carbohydrates: 54 / 27
Fiber: 2 / 1
Fat: 113 / 56.5
Saturated: 67 / 33.5
Cholesterol: 402 / 201
Calcium: 317 / 158.5
Protein: 56 / 28
Sodium: 1873 / 936.5
Glycemic Index: medium - low
I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it. I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.
Please note that 80% of the calories and and 60% of the carbs in this dish are in the sauce.... I rarely eat all of the sauce....
And this is my favorite to make at home:
Moules (Mussels) Gratiné
You can eat them with a fork or just slurp them out of the shell.
16 - 24oz (500 - 750 r) fresh mussels - preferably cleaned
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 cloves garlic
Topping
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs chopped parsley
1 can whole tomatoes, or 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Cleaning: Same as above.
Cooking: Heat wine, bay leaf, thyme and 2 whole garlic cloves in large pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. When wine is boiling dump in the mussels and cover. Reduce the heat to medium and give the pan a shake every minute or two. Uncover after 3 minutes - if most of the mussels are open remove from heat. If not, cover and give them another minute. When done, pour mussels into a colander over a large bowl to catch the cooking liquids. Strain cooking liquid and set aside. Discard any mussels that did not open.
The topping: Chop onion and garlic. Sauté over medium heat in 1 tbs olive oil in a large nonstick skillet until transparent. Drain tomatoes and roughly chop. Add to skillet and sauté 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of reserved cooking liquid, reduce heat and simmer until it becomes a bit thick - sauce-like Add parsley.
Finishing: Back to the mussels: using only the open mussels, break off half of the shell and place the mussel in its half-shell in a baking dish, 8 X 10 (20 X 25cm), 9 X 13 (22 X 30cm), whatever works; they should just fit. Spoon tomato sauce evenly over the mussels, sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with remaining tbs olive oil. Bake at 400 F (200C) for 10 minutes. Serve
Nutrition information for: entire recipe / per serving, (2 servings)
Calories: 1142/ 571
Carbohydrates: 97 / 48.5
Fiber: 11.9 / 5.95
Fat: 39.8 / 19.9
Saturated: 6.2 / 3.1
Cholesterol: 108 / 54
Calcium: 325 / 162.5
Protein: 60 / 30
Sodium: 1539 / 739.5
Glycemic Index: medium - low
I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it. I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.
