A Love Story

PHOTO BY KAREN DAY

By April Neale

Growing up in a coastal town north of Boston—a solid clam town—the last thing we ever craved was mussels. They sliced our feet as we jumped off rocks to swim in the summertime. Their spent shells were never worth collecting. Mussels were considered food by the Euros, Quebecois, and Italians in the North End. I was none of those.

It took me until my twenties before I was brave enough to eat a dish of them. It was encouragement from my father. Mussels, he told me, were sweeter and better than clams, a sentiment I wholeheartedly agreed with once I tried them. Now I live in landlocked Idaho, where Chandlers Prime Steaks was the last place I thought would feed my sweet heat addiction to Moules Frites, a classic Belgian dish only found on their bar menu, and unlike anything in the 208.

This dish has perfectly crisp Idaho potatoes heaped over (or served on the side), which is Rex Chandler’s preference.

Chef Manny Martinez uses executive Chef Luis Flores’s brilliant Asian fusion recipe. Their secret? The Chandlers dish balances the heat and cooling notes, Thai peppers, and cooling lemongrass in the coconut-based broth to keep you coming back for more. The buttery nature of the coconut milk is a perfect swap for the more traditional side of mayo, and this dish comes with three additional dipping sauces for the fries.

Chef Flores has honed this dish since the 1990s. “I came up with that idea of making the sauce, and when I came to work with Rex Chandler we made that recipe better than the original, with a Thai influence—curry, garlic, lemongrass, and a few Thai peppers in there for the heat that keeps you coming back,” he said. “People come in, enjoy the sweetness of the mussel and the little bite and spice from the sauce, and then the fries finish them up.”

Rex Chandler added that Taylor Shellfish in Whidbey Island was a direct source for their mussels, with fresh shipments picked up several times weekly. “It’s absolutely the freshest you can get,” he said. ‘Though these Moules Frites are not available on our dinner menu—only on the bar menu—those patrons who know about this dish often order it when seated in the dining room for a shared appetizer. We still retain a lot of connection with the classic Escoffier recipes like our chocolate souffle, one of many classics at which we excel, like all the mother sauces. We adhere to the Escoffier principles, but get these beautiful, fresh PNW mussels for the Moules Frites. Chef Flores has evolved this dish into a must-try culinary experience here at Chandlers.”

A little sweet, a little heat, some Idaho spuds, and a subtle hint of the ocean. If this sounds interesting, then head down to Chandlers and give the Moules Frites a try. Everyone I’ve ever compelled to sample this menu item has thanked me. I promise that you will, too.