heat oven to 450

place mussels in cold, lightly salted water and set aside

peel potatoes and slice into 3x1/2-inch sticks

toss potatoes with olive oil

add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

scatter in a single layer on a baking sheet

bake for 17 minutes

flip potatoes and bake for 15 more minutes or until they are lightly browned.

remove from oven and toss with remaining salt and pepper.

meanwhile, debeard mussels by removing stringlike. seaweed between the shells.

discard any open mussels

place mussels into a new bowl

melt butter in a large, lidded pot over medium heat

stir in shallots and saute' 3 minutes

stir in garlic and saute' another 1-3 minutes

add whine and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

bring to a simmer

add mussels, and cover with lid.

cook 6-8 minutes

mussels will be ready when shells have opened and they are cooked through.

discard any mussels that did not open

garnish fries with parsley

serve cooking liquid on side as sauce