Moules - Frites

World Cup, Day 6 - Belgium

Moules Frites

Mussels and Chips

Day 5 of the World Cup provided another impressive scoreline with Germany defeating Portugal 4-0. My Portuguese fish stew worked well, so today I stayed with the fish theme - the Belgian dish Moules-Frites. This is a simple dish that takes advantage of great tasting shellfish. 

I decided against making deep-fried chips and went with the healthier option of roasted sweet potato chips. They complement the mussels perfectly. The chilli and wine bring the mussels to life, with the lemon juice balancing the dish. One of the best things about mussels (apart from their price) is the speed at which they cook; great for a quick supper after work. 

Serves 2

For the sweet potato chips:
2 Large Sweet Potatoes
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp Dried Oregano
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the mussels:
1 Kg Fresh Mussels (cleaned and de-bearded)
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
zest of 1 Lemon (keep lemon for juice)
200 ml White Wine
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
handful of Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (finely chopped)

1. First make the chips. Cut the sweet potatoes and place on a baking dish. Pour over the oil and oregano and mix, to ensure everything is evenly coated. Season well and roast in a 190 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Give them a good shake halfway through.

2. Next, prepare the mussels. Make sure they're clean, de-bearded and all are closed (if not, give them a sharp tap, if they don't close, discard). Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, chilli, garlic and lemon zest. Season and cook for 5-7 minutes to soften. Add the wine and bring to the boil before adding the mussels. Put a lid on the pan and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, shaking every so often, until the mussels open (discard any that remain closed). Take the lid off, add parsley and the juice of half a lemon. Allow to cook for another 2 minutes before serving with the chips.