Mussels, ideally, will be harvested on your nearby beach when you are staying in a cottage in Brittany. Otherwise make sure they look gleamingly fresh when you buy them and eat eat them the same day.

This is another dish that is eaten everywhere in France. You will find 'moules frites' - mussels with chips - on workers lunch menus, in bars as a snack type meal, and in posh restaurants. A very popular dish indeed.

Recipe for moules frites

Method

• Place the mussels in a saucepan with 2 finely chopped onions and 2 cloves of garlic, well crushed
• Cover with dry white wine, bring slowly to the boil, then simmer gently while stirring.
• Continue until the mussels have opened - discard any that do not open.
• Serve with chips, preferably thinly cut 'French style' chips.
• Note - to make the best chips your uncooked chips should be washed in cold water and dried thoroughly before cooking. If making chips sounds a bit tedious, serve with plenty of fresh bread instead.