Moule Mariniere | Mussels with Baked French Fries | Family Meals on a Budget

white wine

🥗Healthier: non-alcoholic wine

💰Cheaper: chicken broth

Chicken broth adds flavor without alcohol.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier and adds richness.

shallots

🥗Healthier: red onion

💰Cheaper: yellow onion

Red onion offers similar flavor with less cost.

parsley

🥗Healthier: cilantro

💰Cheaper: green onions

Cilantro adds freshness at a lower price.

Wash the mussels under cold running water and discard any broken ones.

Scrape off barnacles using a paring knife and remove the beards.

Rinse the mussels one last time before cooking.

Wash the skin of the potatoes and slice one side to create a flat base.

Cut the potatoes into 8 millimeter thick slices.

Remove one end of the slice and turn it to cut into perfect buttons.

Wash the potato buttons in cold running water until the water runs clear to remove starch.

Drain the potatoes properly.

Line a couple of oven trays with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil.

Toss the potatoes to evenly distribute the oil and spread them across the trays.

Bake the potatoes at 200 degrees Celsius from a cold oven for 40 minutes, turning them a couple of times during cooking.

In the last 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle chopped garlic and thyme over the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

While the potatoes are baking, finely chop the shallot and thinly slice the garlic.

Finely chop the flat leaf parsley.

Place a large pot over medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil, chopped shallot, and bay leaf, letting it soften for about 5 minutes.

Add the sliced garlic and fry for 3 more minutes.

Increase the heat to maximum and add the white wine, reducing it down (flambé if possible).

Once the wine has reduced completely, add the double cream and stir, bringing it to a boil.

Add the chopped parsley and then add all the mussels, stirring to coat them with the sauce.

Cover the pot and let the mussels open, which should take about 3 minutes.

Finish with a bit of salt and pepper.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens