A Twist on Moules et Frites: Mussel Omelet with Kohlrabi Fries

A twist on moules et frites (mussels and fries)...the twist -- the mussels are incorporated into the omelet and the fries are not made from potatoes, but rather kohlrabi. A truly farm to fork meal -- just about everything came from the farmers' markets, well, except for the mussels, olive oil, and the wine (although, they do make a fair amount of wine in Virginia -- note to self: Try some local Cabernet France and Viognier). The purple flowers are chive blossoms, both edible and aesthetic.

The mussel omelet came about after one of those midweek conversations that usually goes something like this: "What do you want to do for dinner? Not sure, you?" After tossing around half a dozen ideas, neither of us able to come to agreement, we finally settled on a mussel omelet. I've had renditions of mussels and eggs at Thai restaurants. The mussels add a nice brininess to the omelet. I added fresh tarragon, which pairs really well with eggs. It's a quick and easy dish that's going into the weekday rotation.

I discovered kohlrabi not long ago at one of the local DC farmers' markets. Kohlrabi is German in origin -- Kohl meaning cabbage and Rabi meaning turnip -- Cabbage Turnip. It's a member of the Brassica family (along with cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale). Kohlrabi has been described as having a taste and texture similar to broccoli stem, but maybe just slightly sweeter. It has a nice crisp to it. Typically, I've sliced it thin and added it to a green salad for crunch. Read that you can roast kohlrabi in the oven and make kohlrabi "fries", which immediately appealed -- a new and unusual way to showcase this rather obscure vegetable. A side of aioli for dipping brings it all together. 

So, next time you come across kohlrabi, grab some and give it a try. It has many more uses. Check out this post for more suggestions.

Just steam the mussels in a little water and cover until they just open. Remove the mussels from their shells and whisk into the eggs. Salt, pepper, fresh herbs, voila...doesn't get much easier than that.

Mussel Omelet
3 large eggs
1 pound mussels
1 teaspoon tarragon, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra olive oil

Places the mussels in a large deep skillet or wok and add about 1/3 cup of water to create a little steam. Cover and cook until the mussels just open. Transfer the mussels to a bowl. When cool enough to handle, remove the mussels from their shells. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add the mussels and their juices, tarragon, salt, and pepper.

Heat the oil in a medium (~9-inch) skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the egg-mussel mixture. Cook, about 4 to 5 minute until the top of the omelet is almost set. Fold in half and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the inside is mostly set (I like mine a bit looser in the middle).

Kohlrabi Fries

2 or 3 kohlrabi roots (stems and greens removed)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot smoked paprika

Homemade aioli (refer to this post for the recipe)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Peel the tough outer skin of the kohlrabi. Slice the kohlrabi into matchstick size pieces. Toss the kohlrabi with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown, flipping the kohlrabi half way through. Serve hot with a side of aioli for dipping.

Don't throw away the green tops of the kohlrabi, they're edible. You can saute the greeens with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can find both purple and green varieties. They taste the same (in case you were wondering, purple and green kohlrabi look identical on the inside).