Moules Frites is a classic Belgian dish featuring tender steamed mussels served alongside crispy golden fries. This beloved pairing showcases the simplicity and rich flavors of Belgian cuisine, making it a favorite in bistros across Europe. Perfect for sharing, it’s a must-try comfort food for seafood lovers.
Moules Frites, often hailed as Belgium’s national dish, has a history dating back to the 18th century when mussels became a popular and affordable alternative to meat during winter months. The dish pairs freshly steamed mussels with a generous serving of crispy fries, highlighting the best of Belgian comfort food.
Traditionally, the mussels are cooked in a flavorful broth made with white wine, shallots, parsley, butter, and sometimes garlic or celery, which infuses the shellfish with delicate aromatics. The fries, double-fried for extra crunch, are served alongside to soak up the savory broth.
What makes Moules Frites especially interesting is its communal appeal. It’s typically enjoyed in large pots at the center of the table, inviting diners to share and savor together. Its simplicity, regional variations, and convivial style have made it a beloved staple in bistros across Belgium and beyond.
This classic Moules à la Marinière recipe from David Lebovitz is incredibly fast, requiring only about five minutes of steaming time after a quick sauté of the aromatics, making it perfect for entertaining or a speedy dinner. The flavor is bright, savory, and clean, defined by the sweet brininess of the mussels themselves, complemented by fresh parsley, garlic, and shallots. The final dish has a delicate, herbaceous broth derived from the dry white wine, which is traditionally used to soak up with the accompanying French Belgian fries.
Moules-frites
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted or salted butter
- 1/2 cup (55g) peeled and finely chopped shallots
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- Pinch of salt
- 3 cups (750ml) dry white wine (Note: The author often reduces this to 1 cup/250ml for enough sauce)
- 1/4 cup (15g) chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 4 pounds (1.8kg) mussels, cleaned and debearded
Directions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots and garlic are soft and wilted (1 to 2 minutes).
- Add the wine and parsley, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the cleaned mussels to the pot, stirring them a few times. Cover the pot and steam for about 5 minutes until all the mussels open. Lift the lid midway through cooking to give them a stir.
- Remove the pot from the heat and serve the mussels immediately with French fries and bread to soak up the liquid. Discard any mussels that did not open after cooking.
This next recipe from Serious Eats is what I’d make as an Asian version of moules-frites. It is moderately easy, requiring a few extra steps—specifically, pounding a fresh aromatic paste—compared to the simplest classic moules recipes, but the actual cooking process is still very fast. The flavor profile is a complex and highly aromatic fusion of Thai and French techniques, featuring rich coconut milk, sharp lime, savory fish sauce, and a powerful punch of heat from Thai green curry paste and fresh chilies. The broth is sweet, spicy, salty, and briny, making it an incredibly satisfying dish that begs for sticky rice to soak up the intense, fragrant liquid.
Steamed Mussels With Thai-Style Coconut Curry Broth
Ingredients
- 8 sprigs cilantro, leaves and stems roughly chopped and reserved separately
- 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Thai chiles or red chile flakes
- 1 teaspoon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime
- Kosher salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (do not shake before opening)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste
- 1 tablespoon brown or palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 2 pounds mussels (cleaned and debearded)
- 1 small Thai or serrano chile, thinly sliced
Directions
- Combine the cilantro stems, half of the sliced garlic, half of the sliced shallot, coriander seeds, dried chile, lime zest, and a small pinch of kosher salt in a mortar and pestle (or blender, with a tablespoon of water). Pound and grind until a smooth paste is formed.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the thick cream from the top of the can of coconut milk and add it to a large saucepan. Add the oil and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the remaining garlic and shallots, the freshly pounded aromatic paste, and the store-bought curry paste. Cook, stirring and scraping the paste around the bottom of the pan until very aromatic, about 4 minutes.
- Add the remaining contents of the coconut milk can, the sugar, and the fish sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until rich and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Season the broth to taste with more fish sauce as desired.
- Add the mussels, stir, cover, and cook, shaking the pan constantly and stirring occasionally. As soon as all the mussels are open, stir in the reserved chopped cilantro leaves, the sliced fresh chile, and the lime juice.
- Serve immediately, with additional limes at the table (and sticky rice, if desired, for sopping up the broth).
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