Moules

The love of Mussels is evident on both sides of the border, particularly of course towards the coast. The preferred type in French Flanders are 'Moules Bouchot'. The 'Bouchot' refers to the wooden poles that the mussels are grown on. These poles are placed in the shallows off the Flemish coast.

Belgians tend to turn their noses up to this variety as they are smaller than the standard Belgian mussels from Zeeland, but for me the taste is at least as good, and the price is under half of what you pay in Belgium.

Normally served in a pot (Marmite) with chips on the side, there are usually several options for the type of sauce they are cooked in. The most common, and arguably the best, is the simple 'Marinières' where the mussels are cooked in water (optional added wine) with celery, onion and herbs. This creates a lovely light sauce that does not overpower the mussels. Any sauce left over can be mopped up with a hunk of bread.

I once saw an English couple looking suspiciously at a menu in Boulogne, they were rather surprised to see mussels with marmite! I had to reassure them that 'Marmite' referred to the cooking pot, and not the famous yeast extract!