Last updated: 16 December, 2024 @ 14:40

With winter just around the corner and mussels approaching their very best, the ideal dish to kick off the new season is mouclade, a classic French recipe that’s rich, creamy, and full of flavour.

Mouclade has somewhat fallen out of fashion, which to us as fans of simple cooking and fresh ingredients, makes it even more desirable.

Let’s take a closer look at this forgotten classic.

What is mouclade? The classic French mussel dish

Hailing from the west coast of France, mouclade combines curry powder, double cream, saffron, shallots, garlic, and of course seasonal plump mussels and their liquor, to deliver an early winter-warming dish that’s easy to make, and even easier to enjoy.

Key ingredients for making mouclade

The key ingredients for a good mouclade include saffron, double cream and curry powder. However, sometimes crème fraiche makes an appearance, as do leeks.

Jane Grigson’s classic Fish Book features two recipes for mouclade, one featuring fennel, the other a ‘half-and-half’ combination of soured cream and double cream. Fish Book is a must-have for any seafood lover.

‘If ever you are in the west of France, I can recommend a visit to Esnandes, a village to the north of La Rochelle,’ writes Jane Grigson, in the manner of a close friend calling you up to tell you about their holiday.

‘Go there in the morning to visit the extraordinary fortified church, where you can walk on the battlements, and look out towards the marshy coast and shallow bay where mile after mile of posts or bouchets diminish towards the horizon.

‘Lunch should be taken in the Hotel du Port – the flavouring there is curry powder instead of saffron, but it works well, being used with a light hand’.

Jane Grigson died in 1990, but you can find out more about her life and writing at the Jane Grigson Trust.

Meanwhile, Rick Stein’s version of mouclade includes a good splash of cognac, which, it must be said, adds some warming depth to the dish.

How to steam open mussels for mouclade

The method used for steaming open your mussels is also crucial to the dish.

Most recipes, including our very own recipe for mouclade, suggest opening your mussels by steaming them in a hot pan with a good splash of white wine – something like muscadet.

However, for a bit more depth, vermouth can be used – with Noilly Prat commonly cited in many mouclade recipes as a good alternative to white wine – like in this version by Nigella Lawson.

The Fish Face Seafood Blog traditional mouclade recipe

The Fish Face Seafood Blog version of mouclade keeps things traditional, and simple. Once you’ve washed and prepared your mussels, the rest is super easy and really, really quick.

Mouclade is a dish best eaten with your hands. There’s often much debate surrounding mussels in regard to serving with either bread or fries. The answer is actually quite a simple one – serve with both.

Believe us – you’ll need plenty of both for mopping up all that creamy, curry-flavoured, mussel-infused sauce that is sure to warm the soul on a cold winter’s day.

Ready to try mouclade? Check out our full recipe below!