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Poitou-Charentes
Along the La Rochelle coast, bouchot mussels are bathed in a saffron-tinted curry sauce — an Indies trading post brought straight into the fisherman's pot.
Traditional dish from Poitou-Charentes.
Before becoming mouclade, this dish was merely a simple preparation of moules marinière, cooked by fishing families along the Charente coast with whatever was to hand: freshly harvested bouchot mussels, local white wine, and a few herbs from the garden. For generations, the baie de l'Aiguillon and the surrounding area of La Rochelle made it an everyday meal rather than a festive dish.
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Mouclade as it is known today is attributed to Marie-Thérèse Lhermite, the landlady of a small bistro in Esnandes, a mussel-farming village some ten kilometres from La Rochelle. At the very beginning of the 20th century, she is said to have had the idea of adding saffron and spices to traditional moules marinière, transforming a fishermen's dish into a recipe now associated with the whole of Charente-Maritime.
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The curry powder, turmeric, and saffron that flavour mouclade owe their presence to La Rochelle's major maritime trade: these spices were brought back by sailors and merchants returning from their expeditions to the Indies. The recipe subsequently gained popularity in the port's bistros, such as Bar André on the Vieux-Port of La Rochelle — founded at the start of the 20th century and taken over in 1947 —, where mouclade has featured on the menu for several decades. Handed down from generation to generation, mouclade remains a staple of summer meals along the Charente coast today.
Appearance
Open bouchot mussels, bathed in a smooth golden-yellow to orange sauce (curry, turmeric, or saffron), served in their shells at the bottom of a deep dish.
Aroma
Iodised scent of the mussels lifted by the spicy warmth of curry or the floral note of saffron, against a creamy, buttery backdrop.
Taste
Clean briny tang of the mussels, softened by cream and butter, warmed by spice (mild curry or saffron) and a dash of Pineau des Charentes or white wine.
Texture
Tender and plump mussel meat, with a velvety coating sauce that enrobes without heaviness.
the bouchot mussels are scraped, debearded, and rinsed.
the sauce is poured over the mussels, which are served piping hot in their cooking dish.
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Mouclade is enjoyed piping hot, with a spoon for the sauce and fingers for the shells, accompanied by chips, white rice, or country bread to mop up the sauce. As for wine, Pineau des Charentes remains the pairing most championed by local tradition, though a Muscadet or a dry Sauvignon blanc from the Charente vineyards pairs just as well with the creamy, spiced sauce. It is a seasonal dish: bouchot mussels are harvested from early summer to late autumn, and mouclade remains above all a favourite of summer tables along the La Rochelle coast.
No official quality mark (PDO (AOP), PGI (IGP), TSG (STG), Label Rouge, Organic) protects mouclade: it is a regional recipe of family and bistro tradition, handed down from generation to generation without specifications or a defence organisation.
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