Thomas Keller's Mussels with Saffron & Pomme Frites

For New Year's Eve, as is tradition in our house, we made a prime rib for the main course (shout out to Flannery's in California for their California Reserve Prime Rib...best rib EVER). And as usual, we choose a seafood precursor to kick off our celebration. This year our choice was Thomas Keller's Moules au Safron et à la Moutarde (Mussels with Saffron & Mustard) and his Pomme Frites (French Fries) from his Bouchon restaurants.

Not particularly difficult, you do need to prep the potatoes in advance so allow plenty of time. The mussels cook very quickly so it helps to have one person frying up (the second time around) the frites while you work on the mussels in order to serve everything together hot and crunchy! Also, we strongly recommend the use of an oil / candy thermometer to help regulate temperature during the frying process. Thanks to Susan & Rich for letting us borrow theirs. We have since ordered our own from Williams-Sonoma for future french fry making.

One final note before I post the recipe...Thomas Keller's recipe results in hands down THE BEST mussels I've ever had. We were amazed at how incredible they came out and how easy it was to replicate his restaurant offering. You'll see that this recipe uses Garlic Confit. Don't skimp - this makes a huge difference!

Mussels with Saffron and Mustard (Moules au Safron et à la Moutarde)

From Bouchon by Thomas Keller (Artisan, 2004). © 2004 by Thomas Keller.

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (6 ounces unsalted butter)
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 24 cloves Garlic Confit (recipe follows)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 cups dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
• 4 pinches saffron threads
• 4 pounds small mussels, preferably bouchot
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper

Garlic Confit:

• 1 cup peeled garlic cloves (about 45 cloves)
• About 2 cups canola oil

Instructions

1.       Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, salt, and white pepper, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the mustard and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a minute or two, then add the saffron, cover the pot, and remove from the heat. Let the broth steep for at least 5 minutes. (The broth can be allowed to sit for a few hours at room temperature.)

2.       To Complete: Rinse the mussels under cold water; scrub them if necessary to clean them. Pull off and discard the beards.

3.       Bring the broth to a simmer over high heat. Add the mussels and stir to combine. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the mussels have opened.

4.       Toss the mussels with the parsley and a few grindings of black pepper. Serve immediately in large shallow bowls, with some crusty bread.

Garlic Confit

Makes 2 cups

At the restaurant, garlic confit is used in so many preparations that we consider it to be a pantry staple. It's such a great flavoring device for everything from shellfish to mashed potatoes, or to be stirred into soup or spread on a baguette for a tartine. The oil the garlic is cooked in can be used as well.

1.        Cut off and discard the root ends of the garlic cloves. Place the cloves in a small saucepan and add enough oil to cover them by about 1 inch—none of the garlic cloves should be poking through the oil.

2.        Place the saucepan on a diffuser over medium-low heat. The cloves should cook gently. Very small bubbles will come up through the oil, but the bubbles should not break the surface. Adjust the heat as necessary and move the pan to one side of the diffuser if it is cooking too quickly. Cook the garlic for about 40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the cloves are completely tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the garlic to cool in the oil.

3.        Refrigerate the garlic, submerged in the oil, for up to a month.

Thomas Keller's the World's Best French Fries (Pommes Frites)
No matter where you are, really, nothing beats a great fry and who better than Thomas Keller in Bouchon to give us his secret for the best version ever. Watch out: they are seriously addictive! Keller says the russet potato is the best for fries because of its high starch content and its shape.

Large russet potatoes (2 per person), washed
Peanut oil for deep-frying
Kosher salt

Set out a large bowl of cold water. Using a potato cutter, a mandolin, or a knife, cut each potato into sticks 1/4 inch thick and 4-1/2 inches long and place in the water. Discard any cuts that are irregular; they'll cook unevenly. When all the potatoes have been cut, change the water several times until the starch has been rinsed from the potatoes and the water remains clear. (The potatoes can be refrigerated in the cold water for several hours.)

For the first frying: Fill a deep fryer or a large heavy pot with 3 to 4 inches of good peanut oil for the best flavor and heat to 320°F.

Remove the potatoes from the water and drain well on paper towels. Place a handful of potatoes in the hot oil, using a basket insert if you have one; shake the basket a few times or stir the potatoes. Do not crowd the potatoes; there should be at least twice as much oil as potatoes. Fry until the potatoes are cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes; they shouldn't be any darker than a very pale gold. Remove the fries from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potatoes. (The blanched potatoes can be held for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.) Reserve the oil in the fryer or pot.

For the second frying: Reheat the oil to 375°F. Add one portion of the fries at a time and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the potatoes are a deep gold with a crisp exterior. Quickly drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve.

Alan paired the mussels & fries with a flight of 1995 vintage Champagnes (Bollinger, Salon, Tattinger and Krug). The course is savory with wonderful, fresh flavors (and those fabulous, salty fries) that just go gorgeously together with bubbles!