This recipe comes from La Brasserie restaurant in Sydney. Mussels are easy to prepare so they are a great idea for a crowd pleaser.
TO DRINK: Säo Gabriel Rafael White Ale is an exceptionally made beer that will complement a variety of food styles. This bottle-fermented Portuguese stunner is a must.
La Brasserie's moules with pommes frites
Ingredients
- POMMES FRITES
- sunflower oil, for deep-frying
- 2kg thin-cut chips
- a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra to garnish
- 180g butter, at room temperature
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 small red onions or 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 200g small button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 360ml dry cider
- 3kg fresh black mussels, beards removed and scrubbed
- 300g crème fraîche
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
For the pommes frites, heat the oil in a deep-fryer and fry the chips in batches. They will be fried twice, so fry them for about 15 minutes, then drain them on paper towel and set aside until needed.
Combine the parsley, butter and garlic in a large heavy-based pot and stir until the butter has melted. Add the onions or shallots, thyme and bay leaves, and cook over a low heat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and cider, and then the mussels. Cover and give the pot a good shake to distribute the mussels evenly. Cook the mussels for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Discard any unopened mussels.
Return the pot to the heat and let the liquid reduce slightly. Whisk in the crème fraîche and season, then return the mussels to the pot to warm gently. Sprinkle with the extra parsley.
Refry the chips for 5 minutes and drain them on paper towel. Serve the chips and mussels with crusty bread to mop up the juices.
