Mussels (or moules in French) are the least expensive bivalves around. We make them regularly, either with a standard French prep of white wine, garlic, and parsley, or with Chinese black bean sauce. Penn Cove, off Whidbey Island in Washington, grows the bulk of the tasty critters for West Coast consumption.
One of the few restaurants we’ve visited repeatedly in France is Léon de Bruxelles, a chain that specializes in mussels and fries. Last night we went to a branch around the corner from our hotel for a quick bite. As with many of the restaurants in Lyon, it had “special prices” for the Fête des Lumières. We opted for the Lyonnais prep, with local sausage, bay leaves, parsley, shallots, and crème fraîche. It was quite good. In addition to ketchup and mayonnaise, the table had a “Sauce Samourai” for the fries. It was basically sriracha mayonnaise. The menu also came with a waffle for dessert, festooned with powdered sugar and whipped cream.
Making mussels at home is very easy. First, make sure you’re getting live ones. Tell the fishmonger you don’t want any “yawners”, i.e., dead ones with open shells. Two to two and a half pounds of mussels will feed two people amply. Get them home reasonably fast and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. Chop up some garlic, shallots, or onion, along with some parsley. You can also add some tomato, bell pepper, or hot chile. Uncork a bottle of dry white wine. Wash the mussels and pull off the beards with a small paring knife. Now heat some olive oil in a covered pot. Sauté the alliums and other vegetables in the oil, then throw in the mussels with a little white wine. Cover the pot and let the mussels steam until the shells all open, about 5-7 minutes. Discard any mussels that remain closed. Sprinkle in the parsley and serve with pasta, crusty bread, and a salad. If you make French fries at home (we don’t), you can have those. Mayonnaise is not required. Bon appétit!
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