Moules Frites – Volpi Foods

Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled (about 4 potatoes)
• about 2 quarts oil, for frying (canola, vegetable, sunflower, peanut – just not olive)
• kosher salt
• ¼ pound Pancetta , diced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 leek, white and light green parts, diced
• ½ bulb fennel, diced
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
• 4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded , discarding any with broken shells or slightly open
• and won’t close when tapped
• 1 tablespoon Pernod (optional)
• ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• deep-fry thermometer
• cooking spider
• 2, 7-quart Dutch ovens (one for mussels, one for fries)