Harvested from July to February in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, these mussels are considered gastronomic gems in the region. They have been farmed since 1954 and have come to be known around the world. They have hard, blue-black shells and bright yellow-orange flesh ovals hidden inside. The flesh is dense—much meatier than other mussels—and rich in iodine, though it possesses a delicately sweet and creamy taste. For all its density, it is soft, with an almost melt-in-your-mouth texture.
There are many ways to enjoy these mussels: in a creamy sauce, à la plancha, stuffed, or cold off a bed of ice. You can steam them with coconut milk or roast them in a pan. For the famous Moules Marinière, cook them up in a saucepan with onion, parsley, and white wine—and enjoy them with a side of thick-cut fries! Pro tip: add a few Terre Exotique Saffron Strands for additional aroma and a beautiful golden gleam to the sauce.
For your dinner-time drink, if you go for a Marinière-style recipe, reach for a Riesling or Muscadet. Going with coconut milk means cracking out the Pinot Gris or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. If baking or roasting is your choice, you’ll be well-served by a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon de Touraine. Should you try stuffing mussels, it’s the perfect time to pull out your Spanish rosado!
As folklore in the region goes, either a Scotsman or an Irishman was shipwrecked in Charente, a close neighbor of Normandy, back in 1235. He thought to trap seabirds by stringing nets to wooden stakes on the shoreline. Instead of attracting seabirds, the nets became the breeding ground of mussels. The “bouchot” (shellfish net) method of mussel cultivation was thus born—and introduced in Mont Saint-Michel in 1954. This large UNESCO-listed bay stretches from the regions of Ille et Vilaine to Manche, and now produces 10,000 tons of mussels—which is 25 percent of the mussels grown in France!
This is a pre-ordered item at The Bow Tie Duck and will only be available while the producer from overseas is able to supply and allow air-flown delivery. Because this item is subject to seasonal availability, we require a total minimum quantity of 4kg to be able to ship. If the minimum is not met by our cut-off date, we will have to delay the entire shipment. In case of delivery delays, delivery cancellations, “out of stock” notices, or “out of season” notices after purchase, you will be contacted by our Support Team. You will receive a refund or product replacement, or you can choose a new delivery date for your item. In choosing to place an order, you agree to the terms and have read that this particular product is not on-hand. After a short wait, you will receive your orders fresh from the source.
Store your fresh shellfish in the fridge, keeping the temperature between 0 to 5°C. Place it in a bowl with ice at the bottom—or if you have the room, place ice in a large bowl, then place the shellfish in a slightly smaller bowl to sit in the large one—and cover everything up with a wet paper towel. To enjoy them at their freshest, please consume them within 48 hours.