Mussels and Fries, an easy dinner for two

Mussels and Fries

By Irvin Lin

Cook’s Illustrated published this recipe a few years ago, based on a technique developed by French Chef Jöel Robuchon where the potatoes are placed in room temperature oil and brought to boil and fried. The traditional method of double frying the potatoes isn’t necessary as the initial cooking of the potatoes is taken care of while the oil heats up. Just make sure to use Yukon Gold potatoes or Yellow Finn potatoes. Russets will turn dry and leathery (and no, sweet potatoes won’t work either so don’t even try). Chop the potatoes and place them in the Dutch oven with the oil first, then make the mussels. As long as you remember to set the timer for the fries, they pretty much make themselves. Dinner in about an hour!

Fries recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook.
Mussels recipe inspired by Deb Perelman’s The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe.

Ingredients
French Fries
1/2 cup chopped thick cut bacon, cut (about 4 to 5 slices)
2 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
6 cups rice bran oil (peanut or regular vegetable oil works too)
salt to taste

Mussels in Shallots and Vermouth
3 pounds mussels
1 cup chopped shallots (about 5 large ones)
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 12 large cloves)
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
3 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (optional)
3/4 cup chopped Roma tomatoes (about 3 medium tomatoes)
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 1/2 cup dry vermouth
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Optional
A couple slices of crusty bread, toasted to sop up the mussel sauce

Directions
1. Place a double layer of paper towels on a rimmed baking sheet and place a wire rack on top of it. Line a bowl with a double layer of paper towels. Place the chopped bacon in a large heavy Dutch oven or pot. Cook the bacon until done and all the fat is rendered out. Move the cooked bacon to the lined bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the Dutch oven.

2. Wash and scrub the potatoes. Dry them with a towel and then cut them into 1/4-inch thick fries. Place in a large heavy Dutch oven with the bacon fat. Pour the oil over the potatoes until they are covered completely and turn the heat to high. Bring the oil to a rapid boil and let cook for about 13-15 minutes without stirring. You want the potatoes to have softened and are slightly limp, but the exterior of the potatoes are starting to crisp.

3. Gently stir the potatoes with tongs. Make sure any potatoes at the bottom of the pot aren’t sticking. Continue to let the potatoes fry for an additional 7- 10 minutes or until the fries are crisp on the outside. Scoop the fries out with a mesh skimmer or spider strainer spoon and place on the wire rack over the baking sheet. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

4. While the oil is heating up and the fries are cooking, rinse the mussels in cold water and discard any that don’t close when you tap them or have broken shells. Place in a large bowl with ice water and let sit for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile chop the shallots and mince the garlic. Place the shallots in a large pot with the butter, virgin olive oil and Herbes de Provence (if using). Heat the pot on medium to melt the butter and sauté the shallots for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until the shallots become translucent.

5. While shallots and garlic are cooking, chop the tomatoes, parsley, and oregano. Make sure to take frequent breaks in chopping to stir the shallots and garlic, so they don’t burn. Once the shallots are done, add the tomatoes, 1/2 the parsley, fresh thyme, saffron and dry vermouth. Bring to a boil.

6. While you wait for the liquid to boil, scoop the soaking mussels into a colander (don’t dump, you want to scoop them out with your hands). The sand expelled by the mussels should settle to the bottom of the bowl. Rinse the mussels again and cut or pull off any stray beards that are still attached to the mussels (pull toward the bottom hinge, not away). Once the liquid is at a boil, add the mussels to the pot and cover. Let the mussels steam in the liquid for about 8 to 10 minutes until they are all open, occasionally shaking the pot to make sure the bottom ones don’t burn. Discard any that don’t open. Pour the mussels and sauce into a large bowl. Garnish with the reserved parsley and the reserve bacon. Serve hot with toasted bread and fresh made fries.

Serves two (generously).