As with all classics, it seems each recipe for Mouclade differs slightly. Jane Grigson and Keith Floyd thickened the sauce by making a roux. Rick Stein meanwhile adds a dash of Cognac to the process, and the Guardian’s Felicity Cloake does neither for her perfect Mouclade recipe.
There also appears to be some discussion over whether to open the Mussels in a separate pan or not. Who knew this Mussels cooking business could be so controversial?
Perhaps the only way to find the true original recipe is to head to western France and ask the fishermen of the Poitou-Charentes region, from where this wonderful dish hails.
La Mouclade and a hint of spice
Mouclade is made with a hint of curry powder, an ingredient that entirely distinguishes the dish from its near-cousin, Moules Marinière.
The addition of spice is said to have originated from the port town of La Rochelle’s historic maritime links to the East.
As you well know by now, we love Mussels. And this is a great Mussels recipe for a wild winter’s day.
We know that Mouclade is seen as somewhat unfashionable these days. That just makes us like it even more 😍
Mouclade
Description
Mussels are at their best when the sea is cold. So, what could be better than marvellous season-best Mussels, a winter's day, and a recipe for Mussels that features curry powder?
Mouclade is a wonderful winter warmer of a dish. We're picturing log fire, bottle of wine, rain on the window and a large, steaming bowl of Mouclade, and quite frankly, perfection.
Dreamland 😍
Ingredients
Instructions
Let's cook!
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Prepare your Mussels
You do of course need to give your Mussels a good clean. Rinse under a cold tap and remove the beards and any weed or barnacles on the shells. We really don't want anything nasty ending up in our sauce.
Discard any Mussels that are damaged or remain open even after you've given them a little tap.
If you're a bit unsure about cleaning your Mussels, don't fret - we've written a guide to preparing Mussels.
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Prepare the other ingredients
Peel and finely chop 2 of the cloves of the garlic.
Crush the other two cloves of garlic.
Finely chop the shallots.
Slice the onion.
Roughly chop the parsley (save the stalks).
As per Rick Stein, place the saffron in a small bowl and moisten it with a tablespoon of water.
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Let's cook our Mussels
Heat a good, thick-based pan over a medium heat. This is the pan in which we'll cook the Mussels.
Place the Mussels into the pan along with the wine, crushed garlic, onion and the parsley stalks.
Pop the lid on and turn up the heat to maximum.
Give the pan a shake every minute or so to encourage the Mussels to open.
Once all the Mussels have opened we need to remove them from the pan, but be sure to retain the cooking liquor.
The easiest way to do this is to place a colander or sieve over a large bowl. The Mussels will stay in the colander or sieve, and the lovely liquor will be safely in the bowl.
Now, strictly speaking, for Mouclade the Mussels should be served in the half-shell. So now's the time to do this, but work at pace as the Mussels should be kept warm.
Once half-shelled, transfer the Mussels to a large bowl and keep warm.
Discard any Mussels that remain closed at this stage. -
Let's cook our sauce
Grab a clean pan and warm it over a moderate heat. Throw in the butter.
As the butter just begins to sizzle, add the chopped shallots, chopped garlic and curry powder. Cook gently, but try not to brown.
Add the flour and stir well.
Grab the bowl containing the Mussel liquor.
Add all the liquor except the last two tablespoons or so (where you may find some grit).
Add the saffron.
The scent rising up off the pan at this stage is unbelievably good 😍
Bring the sauce to a lovely simmer and then add the double cream.
Simmer on a nice, controlled heat until slightly reduced.
Have a quick taste and season if necessary with salt and/or pepper.
Stir in the chopped parsley.
When adding the liquor to the pan, run it through a fine sieve as you do so 👍 -
To serve
Present your Mussels beautifully in a bowl, or on a plate, of your choosing.
Pour the sauce over the Mussels.
Serve with some good bread and the rest of the wine!
You've just made marvellous Mouclade. Stunning 😍
(We would say to give yourself a pat on the back, but your fingers are probably covered in all that lovely, creamy sauce by now).