Vermouth Steamed Mussels with Tarragon Fries

I meant to make this recipe for Brandi when Ben and Brandi were visiting, but Brandi missed dinner.
Ben and I ended up eating and enjoying it.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes (1.5 pounds or so - a potato per person)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided, use 2 T then 1 T below)
• 1.5 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper

• 2 pounds soaked, scrubbed mussels
• 1/3 cup minced sweet onions
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup dry white vermouth
• 2 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

   

Instructions:

Start the fries first:
(Clean and cook mussels while fries are baking.)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Coat a large cookie sheet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes into about 1/4” sticks.
4. Place the cookie sheet in the oven to heat while pre-heating the potatoes for about 4 minutes.
5. Place potatoes on a paper towel covered plate, and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes to pre-cook.
6. Remove hot cookie sheet from oven, cover sheet with the potatoes.
7. Sprinkle potatoes with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
8. Lightly sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt and pepper.
9. Bake potatoes for 25 minutes until light brown
   (remove pan from oven, and toss potatoes once or twice during cooking time to help brown them)
10. When browned, sprinkle with minced tarragon (plus additional salt and pepper to taste) and serve

Clean the mussels:

1. Place them in a large bowl of icy water for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, scoop out mussels with a slotted spoon and scrub them under running water.
3. Cut any ‘beards’ off with a knife or kitchen scissors.
4. Discard any mussels that are cracked, chipped, or not completely shut.

Cook the mussels:

1. Saute onions lightly in butter to soften.
2. Add vermouth, and bring to a boil.
3. Add mussels, cover, and steam them over high heat for 3 to 6 minutes.
4. Shake the pan around to toss the mussels some and distribute the heat and the broth.
5. In about 5 minutes, the shells will swing open and will be done.
6. Once the mussels are done, scoop them into bowls with a slotted spoon.
7. Turn the heat up to high, and reduce the cooking broth for about a minute.
8. Share broth between the bowls.
9. Sprinkle the mussels with the minced tarragon.

Carole's Notes:

Serve with a crusty baguette and the tarragon fries.

• The recipe is from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. (A similar mussel recipe is also on the http://smittenkitchen.com web site.)