Moules frites, or mussels served with fries, are incredibly popular not just in Belgium, where they are believed to have originated, but also in France, where they are widely enjoyed, and in various forms all over the world.
To be honest, I should have been somewhere enjoying these delightful mussels while writing this, but an unwelcome flu decided to keep me in bed instead of boarding my flight. This time, it just wasn’t meant to be. After a weekend filled with chicken soup due to my unfortunate circumstances, I decided to change things up and share with you my recipe for marvelous mussels in beer, hoping for a shift in the weather as well. This one's for all my seafood-loving friendst! 🙂
The recipe is incredibly simple and quick—perfect for a weekend evening with friends: 1 pack of mussels (I used 900g), 1 onion, 2-3 garlic cloves, a walnut-sized piece of butter, 1 bottle of beer (I opted for a Belgian one to stay true to form), parsley, and potatoes for frying. It’s one of those recipes that, despite its simplicity, rewards you with such a delicious taste that I can already picture a group of people gathered around a bowl of steaming mussels, happily tossing aside their shells and dipping crusty bread into the remaining sauce.
So, here’s a brief rundown of the recipe: thoroughly clean the mussels to remove any sand and “beards.” Chop the onion and garlic finely. In a tall pot, melt the butter and gently sauté the onion and garlic. Then, add the mussels and pour in the beer. Cover the pot and let it cook for about 8-10 minutes, shaking it occasionally to mix the mussels. They will open quickly, and any mussels that remain closed after 8-10 minutes should be discarded. Transfer the mussels to a bowl, drizzle the sauce made from the beer and the natural juices of the mussels over them, and sprinkle generously with chopped parsley.
As for the fries, I’m sure you know your preferences well enough by now. I like mine slightly crispy and beautifully golden. Don’t forget to toast a few slices of bread to soak up some of the delicious mussel sauce occasionally. It’s, as a friend of mine would say, a rare treat.
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