Waffles, chocolate, fries, the Adventure of Tintin and most importantly amazing beer, we love everything Belgium in Australia. So to celebrate Belgian National Day we thought we’d turn things up a notch in the Tipple bar and serve up a mouth-watering Belgian favourite – Moules Frities (or fries).

Moules Frites

Serves 2 | 10 minutes

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Ingredients
Aïoli
• 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
• 1 Clove garlic, finely grated
• Coarse salt to taste
• 1tbsp Lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper

Chips
• 3-4 Cups vegetable oil
• 900g potatoes, peeled
• Coarse salt to taste

Mussels
• 900g Mussels, cleaned
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 bottle Belgian wheat beer
• 1 1⁄2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3-4 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
• 1 Jalapeño thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 Cup flat leaf parsley
• 1⁄2 Cup fresh basil leaves
• Toasted bread, for serving

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Method
Blend mayonnaise, garlic, salt, lemon, and pepper together to make the aïoli and rest aside.

Pour oil into a deep fryer or pan until halfway full and heat to 160°C. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch wide and 3 inches long sticks and dry them with a clean dish towel. Fry the potatoes till light coloured for 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Remove potatoes and drain on paper towel.

Heat a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring about 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add beer and bring to a boil then stir in lemon juice and mustard until smooth. Add mussels, cover and cook for 5 minutes (until the mussels open).

Uncover and using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a serving bowl. Discard any that won’t open. Add butter and chilli and stir broth until it’s melted. Taste broth and season with salt and pepper. Pour the broth on top of mussels and sprinkle with parsley and basil. Serve with toasted bread on the side.

Heat oil for the chips back to 160°C and fry potatoes in batches for 1 to 2 minutes (until nicely browned and crisp). Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt and serve.

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