Moules Frites Recipe
Author:
Thomas Sixt is a chef, food photographer, cookbook author and blogger.
Here he shares recipes, answers cooking questions and helps with cooking.
In this article, I present my moules frites recipe. The original Belgian-style mussels are served with French fries.
I still have very fond memories of Belgian food since my last visit to Brussels. The fresh mussels were a feast for me! I want to have that at home too.
I don’t like deep-frying in my kitchen. That’s why I prepare the potato side dish in the oven. A homemade mayonnaise is a must at this point. I show you the entire preparation with a cooking video and many step-by-step photos.
Let’s start the preparation and conjure up a fine dish! Have fun and good luck. Feel free to write me a cooking question at the end of the article or get in touch for kitchen gossip.
Table of Contents
1. Recipe Moules frites
If you have a deep fryer in the house, you can prepare the potato side dish from fresh potatoes as French fries. I opted for a healthier version: oven roasted potatoes. Below are the step-by-step instructions with photos. I wish you good luck!
Moules frites
Instructions by chef Thomas Sixt
Instructions for the preparation of mussels belgian style.
Ingredients
Prepare mussels | ||
1 | kg | Mussels fresh |
Oven roasted potatoes | ||
5 | pc | Potatoes |
1 | tsp | Salt (I use Fleur de Sel) |
6 | pinches | Pepper black, ground |
2 | pinches | dried chilli pepper |
2 | pinches | thyme |
some | oliv oil | |
Mayonnaise | ||
1 | tsp | hot mustard (I use Dijon mustard) |
1 | tbs | lemon juice (I use the juice of half a lemon) |
3 | pinches | Salt (I use primal salt or Himalayan salt) |
2 | pinches | Pepper |
1 | pc | egg (only the yolk!) |
125 | ml | oliv oil |
Mussel stock | ||
1-2 | pc | carrots |
80 | g | celery |
1/4 | pc | leek |
1/4 | bunch | Parsley |
4 | pc | Garlic clove |
1-2 | tbs | oliv oil |
2 | grains | Allspice |
2 | pc | bay leaves (optional) |
2 | pc | Sugar |
100 | ml | dry white wine (or Prosecco) |
200 | ml | Vegetable broth |
50 | g | butter |
3 | pinches | chilli flakes |
Equipment
Instruction
Prepare mussels
Prepare ingredients
Prepare the ingredients, wash and dry the vegetables and herbs.
Wash mussels
Wash the mussels several times in cold water and then leave them in cold water.
Jacket potatoes as healthy chips
Prepare potatoes
Wash the potatoes and cut them into 2 cm pieces, depending on their size.
Season potatoes
Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, thyme, chilli and olive oil in a bowl.
Cook potatoes
Spread the potatoes on a baking tray with baking paper and cook in the oven at 200°C for 35 minutes until crisp.
Prepare Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise preperation
Prepare the ingredients for mayo at room temperature.
Put the lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a high mug.
Add the egg yolk and whisk with a hand mixer.
Slowly whisk in the oil, first drop by drop, then in a thin stream until you have a creamy mayonnaise sauce.
Pour the sauce into a bowl and chill.
–> Tutorial Making Mayonnaise
Prepare mussels
Prepare vegetables
Peel the carrots and celery and chop them with the leek.
Finely chop the parsley, peel and halve the garlic.
Prepare garlic
Roast the garlic halves in a large pot with allspice.
Caramelise garlic
Caramelise the garlic with a little sugar.
Saute vegetables
Add the chopped vegetables and sauté.
Deglaze vegetables
Deglaze with white wine and vegetables and bring to the boil, add butter and chilli.
Drain mussels
Place the mussels in a colander and drain.
Add mussels
Add the cleaned mussels to the pot and cook with the lid on for 10 -12 minutes.
Season Mussels
Season the mussels with parsley.
Serve
Arrange mussels with stock and vegetables on hot plates.
Serve with potatoes from the oven and mayonnaise.
Enjoy your meal!
Video
Courses
Cousine
Keyword
2. Nutritional Values and Calories
3. Discover the Speciality of Moules frites
The sea creatures come to the table in Belgium with freshly prepared chips. The mussel preparation itself is not very different from the well-known mussels in white wine variant from Italian cuisine.
The crispy fries on the side are a hit! I’ve already had the pleasure of enjoying this dish in Brussels and anyone who goes there should find a decent restaurant and order the mussels.
I had the mussels served in a pot, with chips and mayo. Since it’s hard to get beef fat for frying in Germany, I made oven potatoes for my version.
Mussels and crispy potatoes, that tastes wonderful!
Side dish tip from chef Thomas Sixt
4. Mussels Cooking Tips
To be honest, I prefer to buy the seafood clean. On the mainland, the goods usually arrive in the shops already quite well and appetisingly prepared.
Nevertheless, look a bit and always wash the mussels well in cold water. Scrape the shells with a knife as needed if there are chalky bits (shells) of sea anemones stuck to the mussels.
5. How to Recognise good and bad Mussels?
Here is some information on how to deal with sea creatures when shopping and in your kitchen
5.1 Odour test
When unpacking, please pay attention to the smell: fresh, live mussels smell gently of the sea and seaweed.
If the mussels smell unpleasant, please do not process them. Mussel poisoning is not funny.
5.2 Shell broken
Put the mussels in cold water and wait a few minutes. Sort out mussels with broken shells immediately. The mussels open and close while lying in the water.
5.3 Mussel knock test
Slightly open (1-2 mm) is OK, the mussels should close again when tapped or when lying in cold water. It is important that the mussel is still alive.
5.4 Closed mussels after cooking
Mussels that present themselves with closed shells after cooking are not to be eaten. Mussels that are closed after cooking are not OK and must not be eaten. Please only eat the wide-open mussels!
Please only eat mussels that have been opened after cooking. Closed mussels are not edible.
Chef Thomas Sixt on eating mussels!
6. Weitere passende Ideen für Topf und Pfanne
Spaghetti Vongole Recipe with Original Tips from Italy
Prepare Mussels Simply and Quickly
Mussels in Curry Recipe
Mussels in White Wine, Recipe with Video
Asian Salad with Glass Noodles and Scallops, Recipe with Cooking Video Instructions
Scallops Starter with Truffle, Recipe with Video for Gourmets
Scallops Starter with Asparagus, Recipe with Video and Cooking Tips
Comments, Cooking Questions and Answers
Below you can write to me directly.
Please don’t forget the star rating on the recipe, 5 stars means you liked it!