Mussels Luxembourg Style Moulen Recipes

Steps:

• Clean all the vegetables, except the garlic, and chop them very finely. Allow the butter to reach room temperature so that it is soft.
• Lightly fry the onion and shallots in 2 ounces of butter in a large pot, and add all the chopped vegetables and the thyme and tarragon, also finely chopped.
• Pour ¼ of Riesling, and allow to simmer for a quarter of an hour.
• During this time, crush the garlic, and mix with the remaining butter. To this add a little freshly milled pepper.
• Put the pot on a very high heat, and drop the mussels into the boiling contents, pouring in the rest of the wine.
• Cover firmly. Every two minutes stir with a circular movement to make sure the mussels do not remain at the bottom of the pot.
• After ten minutes almost all the mussels should have opened.
• Now put the garlic butter in the pot. In two or three minutes, with regular stirring, the sauce should have mixed thoroughly.
• Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
• Crisp pommes frites should be served with mussels, and an outstanding Riesling.
• Luxembourg's Belgian neighbours often drink a cold beer with their mussels.

Steps:

• Frites/Chips:.
• Slice the potato into thin strips (2mm x 2mm) and rinse in salted water. Heat a deep fat fryer to 325°F/160°C (preferably using sunflower or groundnut oil). Place the frites/chips in and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Moules/Mussels:.
• Tip the mussels into a large bowl of cold water, rinse and then drain well and pull away any 'beards'. (Fresh mussels look black and shiny and should only smell pleasantly of the deep sea - the vast majority should be tightly closed. Avoid any that smell 'fishy', look dry or are mostly open.).
• Place the chopped onion, shallot and garlic in a saucepan with the olive oil, gently sweat them over a low to medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until slightly soft.
• Add the chopped herbs, and pernod or pastis if using and mix with the onion mixture.
• Add the washed mussels to the pan and cover with dry white wine, bring slowly to the boil, then simmer gently whilst stirring. Continue until the mussels have opened - discard any that do not open, this can take between 2 to 5 minutes.
• Add the creme fraiche if using, mixing through the cooked and opened mussles. Cover until the frites/chips are cooked.
• Whilst the moules are cooking, turn up the deep fryer to 375°F/190°C and salt the frites/chips. Add the frites/chips back to the oil for around 1 minute until golden and crispy.
• Serve the moules in a deep bowl with the frites/chips on the side - providinf plenty of napkins and a large bowl for the shells.
• Note - to make the best frites/chips your uncooked frites/chips should be washed in cold water and dried thoroughly before cooking.

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a casserole pot.
• Add onions, celery, and saute for a few minutes.
• Add the wine a bring to the boil.
• Add the mussels and place lid on pot give a good shake to mix.
• Cook until mussels have opened shaking even now and again.
• Add 1 tablespoon of butter, cream and the parsley and stir.
• Serve with crusty bread or as in Belgium with frites.