Mussels & Fries - Moules et frites

 🦪🍟The French Favourite - Moules et Frites!🍷

When you're staying in France, there's one dish you’ll spot again and again on menus across Normandy, Brittany - and even in our local bistros: the legendary Moules et Frites (mussels and fries)!

A true French classic, Moules et Frites is a lunchtime or dinner go-to - comforting, full of flavour, and always best enjoyed with crusty bread and a chilled glass of local white wine or cider.

🍽️ Moules, Your Way

There are several delicious varieties you’ll find depending on the region or restaurant:

🥂 Moules Marinières – the most classic: white wine, garlic, shallots, parsley & butter

🌿 Moules à la Crème – marinières with added cream (rich and silky!)

🥓 Moules au Lardons – with smoky bacon and onions

🌶️ Moules au Curry – mild curry-spiced cream sauce

🌊 Moules à la Normande – with cider, leeks, and crème fraîche

🧄 Served with golden, crispy frites (fries) and often a pot of aioli or mayo on the side!

📜 A Bit of History

Moules have been eaten in France since Roman times, but the moules-frites combo is said to have started in Belgium and Northern France, where coastal communities paired mussels with simple fried potatoes. It’s now considered a national dish in both France and Belgium - and one that locals and tourists alike devour in summer by the seaside.

🎉 Fun Facts:

🦪 France is one of Europe’s top mussel producers, especially in Normandy and Brittany, where mussels are farmed on wooden poles known as bouchots.

🍟 During mussels festivals (yes, they exist!), people eat kilos of moules - and it’s tradition to stack your empty shells like a tower!

🍋 Mussels are healthy too - high in protein, low in fat, and packed with minerals.

📍Whether you're dining by the coast or visiting a local market or brasserie from your Mayenne base, Moules et Frites is a must-try experience - messy, satisfying, and unmistakably French.

✨ J’❤️ La Mayenne…🦪 Dip, crunch, slurp - summer’s tastiest tradition awaits!