Curried Mussels with Oven Frites

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup carrots diced ()
• 0.5 cup celery diced ()
• 0.3 cup crème fraîche sour
• 0.5 teaspoon curry powder 
• 0.5 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
• 1.5 cups cooking wine dry white
• 1.5 pounds mussels scrubbed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 0.5 cup onion diced ()
• 0.5 teaspoon paprika 
• 0.1 teaspoon pepper 
• 20 oz russet potatoes 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup firm-ripe tomatoes diced canned chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• ladle
• oven
• spatula

Directions

1. Coat a 10- by 15-inch pan generously with cooking oil spray. Peel potatoes and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks. In pan, mix potatoes with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
2. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; mix and spread level.
3. Bake in a 450 degree regular or convection oven, turning occasionally with a wide spatula, until potatoes are crisp and browned on the outside and tender to bite on the inside, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a 4- to 5-quart pan over high heat, stir onion, carrots, celery, thyme, curry powder, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon paprika in remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil until vegetables are limp, about 5 minutes.
5. Add wine and tomatoes and their juices; boil, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Stir in crme frache and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Discard any gaping mussels that don't close when you tap their shells.
7. Add mussels to pan; cover and cook until shells pop open, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Ladle mussels and broth into wide bowls.
9. Serve with oven frites.