Who would have imagined a few years ago that seafood would be a permanent fixture on restaurant tables! And certainly no one would have thought that in catering outside the capital, black mussels would certainly be there, even for takeaway!
The secret is that seafood is available frozen and of excellent quality, also through direct-to-consumer sales. I found out how to prepare it, among other things, at the Poirot Belgian Restaurant in Érd.
Many people have had the opportunity to get to know the black mussel during their summer holidays, either in a seaside „booth” or in a small restaurant in a fishing village. They are not a luxury food, eaten hand and foot, quick to prepare and a simple delicacy of the local cuisine. The demand for black mussels is so great that they are invariably caught on farms. Fortunately, it can be said that mussel farms are not only environmentally friendly, but also extremely useful. They „clean” the water of stagnant bays through their filtering capacity - perhaps compensating for the environmental burden of transport.
As I mentioned, mussels are a staple of Mediterranean and Eastern cuisines. They are usually prepared by steaming, with local flavours, spices, vegetables and other ingredients. The Spanish use them in paella, the Italians in tomato, and in Eastern cuisines with lime, ginger and soy sauce. At the Belga restaurant in Vérd, it is made with cream and served in a pot with baguette, with plenty of freshness. As I learned, it is made from a unique recipe, frozen (Matusz-Vad). The intact shells are very fleshy, they release quickly, and are a spectacular sight in themselves, without the need for cleaning.
So we had a speciality from the Belgian region of Eger, which is not shameful to eat with your hands, dipping the toasted French bread in the pot and scooping the crunchy vegetables with a fork.
I could go on and on about the right wine varieties, but this time it's worth topping it off with Belgian special abbey beers: yeasty blond types or strong and full-bodied coloured ones, or even light wheat beers. All harmonise with the sweet, fresh and steaming black oysters.
I promise that if there is interest, I will also share different easy-to-make mussel recipes, until then, here is my own recipe for French black mussels:
Black mussels with white wine
(for 2 persons)
4 tablespoons butter
4 halved salotta or purple onions
Fresh thyme
One head of thinly sliced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2dl sauvignon blanc
Pinch of saffron
1kg black mussels
A bunch of parsley, torn into leaves
2 bunches chopped parsley
I melt the butter over a medium heat, sauté the garlic in it, and add the salotta, pepper, mustard and thyme at the same time. When fragrant, I pour in 1 dl of wine and add the saffron and salt. When it boils, I put the mussels in the high-walled casserole and pour the rest of the wine over them. When they are half cooked (about 2 minutes), I sprinkle the torn parsley leaves over them, turning them thoroughly so that all the little ingredients penetrate the shellfish flesh. Once the shellfish meat is tender, it's done ( about 4 minutes). I remove it to a bowl or casserole dish and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve with toasted bagutte. Ladle into a deep dish.
Enjoy your meal!#
-Pupa-
