It is unthinkable to spend a vacation in camping on the island of Oléron without tasting a delicious mussel eclairA real treat! We'll give you the recipe and technique to make this typical Charente-Maritime dish a success.
An essential specialty of the island of Oléron
For a change from the usual mussels marinière or with cream, here is the mussel eclade! Grilled mussels on pine needles, the eclade (also called "églade", "mussel terrée", "mouclade") is a traditional recipe emblematic of Charente-Maritime, which comes to us straight from the island of Oléron.
The term éclade comes from the word "éguiade" which means "needle" in old dialect, in reference to the pine needles used to light the fire and cook the mussels. This stewed cooking gives the shellfish this unique woody and ashy flavor, very fragrant and generous in taste. The good taste of the open sea and the forest combined!
Preparation steps
Be careful, it's essential to do this outdoors. Also, we're warning you right away: it's delicious, but messy... Your hands will be black with soot!
- 1. Rinse the mussels in clean water beforehand and scrape them to remove the fibrous byssus.
- 2. Arrange the molds vertically, in a spiral, with the point facing upwards to prevent the ashes from falling inside.
- 3. Take a thick, untreated, unvarnished wooden board (ideally oak, approximately 60 cm x 60 cm).
- 4. Place the board filled with mussels on the ground, then cover with a mound of very dry pine needles (a thickness of 10 cm to 40 cm).
- 5. Set fire to the pyre by lighting at the four corners (be careful of the flames and the wind).
- 6. Scatter the ashes at the end of cooking with a piece of cardboard (the old people used a PTT calendar).
Once the needles are burned, the mussels are ready to eat. Enjoy the still-warm mussels with bread and butter from the Charentes region, accompanied by a white wine from the Charente region.
Tip for forming a beautiful spiral: Drive 4 nails into the center of the board to position the first mussels. Then wedge the first four mussels horizontally, in a cross, then insert the other mussels vertically, filling the empty spaces and tightening everything well, so that the mussels do not open during cooking.
Cooking tips: The needles burn quickly (2 or 3 minutes). Add more pine needles for 4 to 5 minutes if the mussels are not cooked enough. The mussels should open slightly. They are said to sing! Also soak the wooden board in water for about ten hours to prevent it from burning during cooking. You can also use fig leaves, placed between the mussels and the board.
Also read: The secrets of Marennes Oléron oyster farming
List of ingredients (serves 4)
- 4 liters of bouchot mussels from Marennes-Oléron (not too small, which is about 3 kg)
- 30 to 50 liters of very dry pine needles
- 1 country loaf, semi-salted Charentais butter and a white wine from the Charente region – Oléron Island to accompany everything.
Did you know?
In the past, mussel eclade was a poor man's dish. During the high tides, fishermen would go out to harvest mussels, then, on their return, collect pine needles in the forest to light a fire and cook their shellfish. Today, bouchot mussel eclade has become a essential culinary specialty, which finds its place in the most highly rated restaurants in the region.
Enjoy your food !
photo @ Jack ma