Bistro Mussels à la Français

Some innocent bags of lovely PEI mussels were just sitting there in the display case, waiting to be taken home for dinner. But to Steph, they triggered memories of cooking traditional French food at Bistro 990.

Mussels were always on the menu, as they are in most French bistros worth their salt. And they were always served with fries, which never made sense until to me until I tried them together. And fries are always served with mayo. Once you've had real fries with mayo, you won't have any more time for ketchup.

I'm bringing up these great combinations because mussels are ridiculously easy to cook, so I thought it would be fun to encourage you to make real fries from scratch.

Apart from the perceived nuisance of frying oil -- which is no big deal and it can be recycled -- you're going to want to make them again. But yes, you'll need a thermometer. This double-cooking method is what the pros use, and it's all about temperature.

Here's a great video on how good professional kitchens make brilliant fries -- crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. And don't listen to him about the ketchup. If he knew we're having them with mussels, he would be into the mayo, too.


Some tips on the timing for preparing this meal in general, so that both key elements are hot and ready to serve at the same time:

1. Blanche the fries first. They can sit in the fridge until you need to finish them in the second cooking.
2. While you're cooking the onions for the mussels, prepare the oil at the right temperature for the fries.
3. Ideally, you'll be tipping your mussels into the pot right before you put the fries in for their finish.

A few words about mayo: You want to make your own? Why not? But don't feel you have to. A good "real" store brand is plenty good. Your call.

A few words about cleaning mussels: Give them a generous rinsing with lots of cold water. Remove the "beard" with a paring knife by pulling it down to the hinge.

Another French bistro staple that will come in handy with this meal: Baguette. The mussels' liquor [cooking liquid] is so delicious, you'll want to spoon it up like soup, or sop it up with chunks of baguette.

Bistro Mussels
serves 4

4 lbs mussels
1 medium onion finely diced
1 clove garlic, smashed
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
a few flakes of crushed chiles
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 cup white wine or beer
salt & pepper to taste

• On medium heat, in a tall pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil and fry the onions until soft, with the garlic and thyme.
• Deglaze with wine or beer.
• Add mussels and give them a good stir to coat them all with the onions.
• Put the lid on and forget about them for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Check to see how many have opened.
• If a third or so remain closed, give them a little more time.
• Generally 10 - 12 minutes should do it.
• Discard any mussels that haven't opened at this point.
  
• Serve them up in deep bowls, pouring the liquor over the mussels, and lay the table with extra bowls for the shells.

Glenn, would you say we've got a great beer opp here?

There are some great wines that would work well here, too. I'd encourage people to look to a Muscadet from the Loire Valley or a crisp Sancerre. I'm happy to give some specific recommendations. Just ask. As for beers, I think pilsners are best, particularly Urquel from the Czech Republic, where the first golden pilsner [aka lager] was invented in the mid-1800s. If you want a Canadian beer, try King Brewery's pilsner made just north of the city. Right now, I'm carrying a new and very interesting Italian wheat beer made in Tuscany. It's called Bruton Bianco, made in the "white" beer tradition of Belgium, where mussels, fries and mayo are also traditional and popular.