Moules marinieres et frites: yummy and cheap.

This is cheap, about $6 for a bag of mussels at Whole Foods. For 2 person you can make 1 bag or 2 (I would suggest 2 since you can make good stuff with the leftovers). Make sure they are fresh, and if they are relatively clean, its much quicker to prepare. When you put them in a bag, in order to bring them home or ti keep them in your fridge, don't close the plastic bag.

1. 2 bags of fresh live mussels


2. 2 cloves of chopped garlic


3. 6 chopped green shallots


4. 1 large handful of chopped parsley


5. 200 ml / 7 fl oz dry white wine


6. 2 oz (55 g) of butter


7. 4 tbsp of creme fraiche


8. salt and pepper

Clean and rinse the mussels in cold running water (throw away the ones that are open). Put the mussels, the garlic, the green shallots (I put the green part which I haven't chopped in there too), most of the parsley, the wine, and half the butter in a large saucepan (like a Creuset). Bring to boil with the lid on and cook until the mussels open. Then reduce the heat to medium, take out the mussels, put the rest of the butter, put the cream in, the rest of the parsley, salt and lots of pepper. Cook for a few minutes. Reduce to low heat, put back the mussels in for a few minutes.

Serve in a bowl with lots of the juice. We make fries with this (I recommend peanut oil for your french fries). Also have a nice piece of bread to eat the leftover juice in your bowl. We also make a light side salad with it.

If that meal is too light for you (i.e. if you are like Chloe), cook some spaghetti, when its done, add butter to it, then throw some of the juice over it and some mussels and eat that as a side dish.

If you have leftovers, take them out of their shells, and put them in the fridge with the rest of the juice. The next day, use this as a base for an amazing clam chowder.