Mussels steamed open in white wine, shallots and butter, served with fries for the broth. Made with the live PEI mussels sold in 2 lb bags at most Canadian seafood counters; the mussels cook in about 10 minutes.
I grew up eating moules in restaurants in France, and moules-frites is still how I serve them: a big pot in the middle of the table and a bowl of fries. PEI mussels come close to French bouchot mussels in size and sweetness, so the pot itself tastes like a French one. The fries are where you adapt at home. Without a deep fryer, oven-baked frozen fries don't have the crunch of a restaurant's, but dipped in the wine broth they do the job.
Moules marinières is a big pot of mussels steamed open in white wine with shallots and butter, eaten with bread or fries all along the coast from Brittany to the Belgian border. Live PEI mussels sit at the seafood counter of most Canadian grocery stores.
Wine, shallots, butter: that's the broth
As the shells open, the mussels release their own salty juice into the wine and butter at the bottom of the pot. That broth is half the dish, so serve it in the bowls with the mussels and keep the fries close.
How to pick a good bag of PEI mussels
They come live in 2 lb (907 g) mesh bags with a harvest tag. Check the date on the tag and buy the freshest bag; rope-grown PEI mussels have very little grit, so cleaning takes minutes.
Skip the bags and boxes that come already sauced or frozen. They're cooked, and cooking them a second time makes them rubbery.
Making it in Canada
The 2 French ingredients, and what to buy for them in Canada.
Moules de bouchot→Live PEI mussels, 2 lb (907 g) bag
French bouchot mussels are small and sweet. PEI mussels are close in size and flavour, and they're rope-grown, so they're cleaner than wild mussels and need little more than a rinse.
🛒 Canadian Cove PEI Mussels (907 g) are listed at Metro and Real Canadian Superstore; IGA lists Atlantic Fresh PEI mussels. Avoid PC PEI Mussels in Provençale Sauce and other pre-sauced or frozen packs.
Vin blanc sec (Muscadet)→A dry Canadian Riesling, or a Muscadet
Muscadet is crisp, light and bone dry. A dry Ontario Riesling gives the same sharpness with a little more fruit; Sauvignon Blanc also works. Avoid oaky Chardonnay and anything off-dry: both turn heavy or sweet once reduced.
🛒 The LCBO lists Balance Dry Riesling VQA. For the real Muscadet, the LCBO lists Le Bourgeais Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie and the SAQ Domaine Luneau-Papin Le Verger. Cave Spring Riesling labelled Dry (Niagara) is at the SAQ.
Good to know: Keep the mussels in the fridge in their open bag or a bowl, covered with a damp cloth, and cook them within a day or two. Never store them in water or a sealed plastic bag: they'll suffocate.
Ready to cook?
Moules Marinières
Mussels steamed open in white wine, shallots and butter, served with fries for the broth. Made with the live PEI mussels sold in 2 lb bags at most Canadian seafood counters; the mussels cook in about 10 minutes.
Prep time
20 min
Cook time
25 min
Total time
45 min
Servings
4
Ingredients
Original recipe: 4 servings.
Instructions
Start the fries. Bake the frozen fries on a preheated tray at the hottest temperature on the package. They take about 20 minutes and the mussels under 10, so put them in before you start the shallots.
Sort the mussels. Tip the mussels into a colander and rinse under cold water. Pull off any stringy beards. Throw away any with cracked shells, and any open ones that don't close when you tap them on the counter.
Soften the shallots. In a large pot with a lid (at least 6 L), melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the shallots 3 minutes, until soft but not brown, then add the garlic for 30 seconds.
Add the wine. Pour in the wine, turn the heat to high and boil 1 minute.
Steam the mussels. Add the mussels, cover and cook 4–6 minutes, shaking the pot or stirring once halfway, until most shells have opened. The meat should be plump, orange or cream-coloured and still juicy; shrunken, rubbery mussels have gone too long.
Serve. Add the parsley and plenty of pepper, toss, and ladle into warm bowls with the broth, with the fries on the side. Throw away any mussels that stayed shut. No salt needed: the mussels release their own.
Notes
Count about 450 g per person for a main course, 250 g as a starter.
Frozen cooked mussels in the shell won't work here: they toughen in the pot. Use them in a pasta sauce instead.
The broth is great for dipping bread or fries. Save any leftover as a base for fish soup.
Take any leftover mussels out of their shells, refrigerate them in the broth and eat them the next day.
Course: Mains · Cuisine: French · Adapted for Canadian kitchens
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