The chip cooking method may seem a bit left field, but it’s fuss free and lets you get on with other things, like having a beer. If that’s too much for you, just dunk some bread in the sauce. Try La Chouffe, a bottle-fermented Belgian blonde–style beer with this. Clean and crisp, it has a zippy, fruity taste of orange and coriander that complements the mussel broth and washes the palate clean.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) mussels scrubbed hairy beards removed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 spring onions (scallions) chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 11¼ fl oz (330 ml) Belgian beer
- small handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley finely chopped
- mayonnaise to serve
Fries
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) desiree potatoes cleaned, skin on > cut into chips 2 cm (¾ inch) wide
- vegetable oil for frying
- sea salt to serve
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F). To make the fries, put the potato chips in a colander and rinse under cold water to remove some of the starch. Tip onto a clean tea towel (dish towel) and pat completely dry. Place in a heavy-based saucepan, then pour enough vegetable oil over to cover. Heat over high heat. Use tongs to separate the chips and move them around in the pan as they slowly start to cook in the oil. When the oil starts to boil, cook for about 5 minutes, or until the fries are golden and crisp.
- Drain in a colander set over a clean, dry saucepan. Spread the fries on a lined baking tray and bake for 15–20 minutes while you cook the mussels.
- Discard any broken mussels, or open ones that don’t close when tapped on the bench. Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Stir-fry the spring onion and garlic for just 1 minute, or until softened and aromatic. Add the salt and beer and bring to the boil.
- Add the mussels, stir a few times, then quickly cover the pan. Cook until the mussels have opened, which should only take a few minutes. Discard any unopened mussels, stir in the parsley, and serve with the fries and mayonnaise.