Mussel

Moule

What it is

Bouchot mussels are grown on wooden posts driven into tidal flats, a method a shipwrecked Irishman is said to have devised in the Bay of Aiguillon in 1235. The posts keep them off the sand, so they carry no grit.

In the kitchen

Discard any that stay open when tapped before cooking, and any that stay shut after. Both rules matter.

Goes with

White wine vinegar Shallot Parsley Cream Garlic Butter Leek Celery

Also used with

Absinthe Camargue red rice Breton kombu Royal kombu Pastis Smoked butter

In season alongside

Abalone Japanese abalone Clam Common prawn Lobster coral Brown crab

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