Creamy Mussels & Oven Chips

📝 Ingredients

• 2.5 kg rope-grown (bouchot) mussels
• 2 shallots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 10 g unsalted butter
• ½ vegetable stock cube
• 200 ml light single cream
• 20 g fresh parsley
• 1.2 kg potatoes
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large casserole dish with lid
• 2 baking trays
• Baking paper
• Mixing bowl
• Clean tea towel
• Slotted spoon

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C, fan setting if possible. Peel the potatoes, cut them into 1 cm thick sticks and soak them for 10 minutes in a large bowl of cold water to remove excess starch: they'll be crispier.
2. Drain the chips and dry them very thoroughly in a clean tea towel: moisture stops them from browning. Put them back in the dried bowl with the oil, paprika and a pinch of salt, and toss to coat well.
3. Spread them in a single layer over two trays lined with baking paper, without overlapping. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, turning them and swapping the trays round halfway through, until golden and crispy.
4. Meanwhile, clean the mussels under cold water: scrape off any debris and pull the little beard (the byssus) towards the hinge. Throw away any broken mussels and any that stay open when tapped on the worktop.
5. Finely slice the shallots, chop the garlic and chop the parsley. Dissolve the half stock cube in 150 ml hot water. In the large pot, melt the butter over a medium heat and sweat the shallots and garlic for 3 minutes without letting them colour.
6. Turn the heat up to high, pour in the stock followed by the mussels and cover immediately. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking the pot two or three times (holding the lid on), until all the mussels are wide open.
7. Lift the mussels out with the slotted spoon into a large warm dish and cover. Add the cream to the cooking liquid and let it bubble for 2 to 3 minutes over a high heat to thicken slightly. Season with pepper but not salt: the mussel juices are already salty.
8. Discard any mussels that stayed closed. Return the rest to the sauce, add the parsley and stir gently. Serve immediately in deep plates, with the hot chips and a bowl for the empty shells.