Catching a Rainbow

Moules de Bouchot.

Mussels are molluscs belonging to the animal class Bivalvia and although there are numerous different varieties I am only interested in one… Mytilus edulis, or the edible mussel, sometimes called the blue mussel.


Mussels have a two-part shell, which protects them from predators and desiccation, both halves being more or less symmetrical. They form part of a huge family containing many edible shellfish such as: clams, scallops, oysters, cockles and can be found in the low and mid inter-tidal zone; that is between the high and low water marks, in temperate seas of both the northern and southern hemispheres.

The fact that they are exposed to the elements twice a day has an effect on their flavour. Some say that the effect of sun wind even the effect of the nearby soil somehow intensifies the flavour of this wonderful culinary delight, which I am delighted to say are so prevalent in Brittany.

France is the largest world producer of mussels, however, in 2005 it had to import 43,000 tons of this shellfish just to keep up with the ferocious demand. Although many are imported, mainly from Holland, Italy and Spain I intend to focus on the very French form of the mussel, the Moules de Bouchot, which I was surprise to discover is not Breton at all.


Brittany is a large producer of mussels many coming from the Bay of St-Brieuc, but it is further east in the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel that one finds the mussels of the same name.


The ‘Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel’, awarded an AOC in 2006 are said to be the finest in France, a claim that is hotly contested by many, including the Bretons and mussel producers from the Poitou-Charente region of western France, especially at this time of the year when shellfish sales are so financially important.

Part II

As I write this on the 4th December, my thoughts drift to winter months and the axiom of only eating shellfish when there is an ‘R’ in the month. Where this came from and to whom it can be attributed to are inconclusive.
It has been credited to William Butler,the author of Dyet's Dry Dinner (1599), in which he writes on Oysters…
“It is unseasonable and unwholesome in all months that have not an R in their name to eat an oyster.”

Others have suggested that shellfish does not taste as good in the summer months as this is when they reproduce and following reproduction the shellfish are of inferior size and quality.
Some say the claim dates from pre-refrigeration days when shellfish could not be stored and had to be eaten immediately in the hotter summer months.
Yet another theory claims that the European oyster is to blame for our reluctance to eat shellfish in the summer. This is due to the fact that the parent oyster guards its offspring (during the summer months) inside its own shell until the young are developed enough to have a protective shell of their own and a rudimentary defence against predators. The infant shells, small and hard give an unpleasant gritty edge to the oyster at the height of summer.
Others blame it on the climate and the prevalence of pathogenic bacteria found in seawater with elevated temperature and whilst the presence of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria is higher in the warmer months, according to the Department of Health, 40 percent of cases occur during the months from September too April, when the sea temperature is reduced and when there is an ‘R’ in the month.

Months with an ‘R’ in their name are still regarded as the in season for shellfish, but this does not always apply to mussels. Their size is much more to do with ambient sea temperature than any other criteria.
The larger fleshier mussels - and here I am referring to the inside of the animal only, are dependant on water temperature; the external shell size is purely a reflection of how old the mussel is and has nothing to do with how large the edible parts will be.
The largest mussels are to be found just before the spawning season, which is dependant on seawater temperature, and can be as early as April and continue until late July. In very good years, when the sea temperature is warmer for longer than normal the mussels can spawn twice and we are graced with a second period of fat, juicy and tasty mussels.

A good mussel will almost fill its shell with bright orange flesh; these are the most sought after mussels… a mature female. The pale yellow, which tend to be smaller are males or immature females and some say are less tasty. I have not found this to be the case and any way it’s a matter of semantics as one cannot chose the sex of ones mussels at the point of sale, they are impossible to sex without opening the shell.
A point worth considering is that when mussel size begins to deteriorate then it will be a further four months before the mussels re-gain their size and perhaps mussels from a different region should be tried…although this is not always possible.

As with the eating of all shellfish there are certain risks involved, especially with filter feeders, such as mussels however, if a few simple guidelines are followed then the probability of having a problem are extremely small. Indeed I have eaten mussels for over twenty years and not once had a problem and I would hope that by reading this article any doubts in trying this wonderful food will be laid to rest and any risk reduced.

Mussels are excellent filter feeders and by their very name it is the filtration which can cause problems when eating any such shellfish. Whilst the seawater passes through their filtration system, other suspended elements are stored within the mussel; most are harmless, but not all. In areas where the seawater quality is poor and the levels of toxins are not monitored contaminants can be stored within the body of the mussel and passed on to humans. These contaminants and in certain cases pathogens are not destroyed by cooking so, it is extremely important to only eat mussels from known sources, such as the mussel parks of Brittany, where the water quality is strictly monitored and controlled.
It is strongly advised not to collect wild mussels, direct from the rocks, which may not have developed in such a healthy monitored environment, and who will present a greatly increased risk to health… regardless of what popular television chefs suggest.


Part III




Archaeological findings suggest that mussels have been used as a food for over 20,000 years but obviously mussels have been around much longer than that as the fossil record of the Cambrian Explosion shows.

There is anecdotal evidence that mussels have been cultivated in France since the 13th Century; and has been credited in some reports to an Irish sailor and in others a fisherman.
The story, which is sketchy at best, is attributed to one Patrick Walton; shipwrecked on the French coast in 1235. Various reports suggest the shipwreck was in the Charente, but as the Charente is landlocked this would prove problematic even on the highest of tides. The département of Charente-Maritime, which stretches from La Rochelle in the north down to the Gironde estuary, is the more likely site for this intriguing yet vague account.



Whilst shipwrecked, and in order to catch food, either fish or birds depending on which version of the story one reads, Walton stretched out some nets between two poles. He soon found that as well as being successful with his nets, mussels also fixed themselves to the wood from which his nets were strewn. The mussels naturally collected on the wooden posts, grew very quickly and were an additional food source for the stranded Walton.
Shortly afterwards he began placing more and more posts in the sea, dispensing with the nets and the industry of mussel farming was born.

The name Bouchot was contrived by Walton to describe his system of placing wooden poles in the sea, which laid out in huge rectangles resembled fields or enclosures. ‘Bout,’ said to mean enclosure and ‘koat’ meaning wood, later became bouchoat and then bouchot in modern French.
However, the Gallic word for enclosure is clós, very similar to the French clos or enclos meaning an enclosed space and not a translation from wood. The word for wood is ‘coil’ and as such draws a shadowy veil over the convenient translation of Bouchot. That being said it is a good story and one worthy of mention.



Regardless of where the name came from the buchot’s are an intrinsic part of the landscape in both Brittany and Normandy, visible at low tide in stagnant immobility paying homage to the pagan roman gods before the Christian edifice of Mont Saint Michel…or that is the way it seems.



Long lines of posts, 4-5 metres high spaced out with military precision stretching from the shore to the horizon. Each line a hundred metres long, each line comprised of 110 posts or bouchot and producing 6600Kg of mussels a year. In the Bay of Mont Saint Michel alone there are 322,000 bouchot stretching for 292 linear Kilometres, but it has not always been thus.



The bouchot method of growing mussels only arrived in the bay of Mont Saint Michel in the early 1950’s and gradually spread around the coast into Brittany. Originating in Charente-Maritime the method only spread north in the 19th Century although it had been practised in the seas around Île de Ré and La Rochelle for centuries.
Today the bouchot tend to be off oak, long lasting and are usually driven into the sand with their bark left on…the ropes and the mussels arrive later from a contentious location.

The method of cultivating the mussels, has not changed since it was first developed for two reasons: the mussels are full-flavoured; which is of paramount importance but also they are devoid of any sediment or grit; making them much quicker and easier to prepare.



Part IV.


Early in the year, the exact time dependant upon the weather and the ambient water temperature, the mussels begin to breed.
For the Moules de Bouchot this does not take place in Brittany or Normandy; but off the west coast of France in Charente-Maritime.
This region, the birthplace of the Moules de Bouchot, is still used for rearing the immature mussels and for exporting them to… ‘That other place.’

The free-swimming baby embryos, ‘Spats’ in English and ‘Naissains’ in French, are quickly formed within 48 hours following fertilisation.
A mere two days later a shell starts to form even though the young mussels are still mobile, carried from one side of the bay to the other like so much pollen on the wind.

Two weeks later the immature ‘Spats’ yield to gravity and begin to settle in the warm waters surrounding Noirmoutiers. Rocks, pilings or expediently placed lengths of hempen rope conveniently suspended from aberrant geometric frames soon become home, howsoever temporary, for this ephemeral culinary delight.

By May the spats are firmly fixed to the ropes by means of a fibrous thread or beard, which will hold them steady until they are ready to be harvested. What happens next, on an annual basis, rubs salt into the very wounds of mussel producers from Charente-Maritime, not only the originators of the bouchot system of mussel production, but also one of the largest salt producing areas of France as well.
The mussels still attached to their ropes are loaded and transported the 270 Km from Western France to the Bay of Mont Saint Michel in Normandy to be transformed into the award winning ‘Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel’.

They arrive resolutely attached to their hempen estates, unrolled, and begin a two-month period of acclimatisation in the nursery yards of Normandy.


Once the two-month nursery period is over the new arrivals are taken to the fields of bouchot, waiting patiently in fixed lines and are wrapped in a single helix, securely fixed to their sedentary posts. At the foot of each post a skirt is fixed, appropriately named a Tahitienne, which prevents the ever-present crabs from climbing the poles and devouring the precious crop.
A year later, their black shells tinged with a blue or purple hue and their flesh a deep orange or creamy yellow, the Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel’ are ready to be devoured.

It is not just the Bay of Mont Saint Michel which produces Mussels by this method, but it is only the ‘Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel’ that have obtained the AOC for their locality.
Moules de Bouchot can be found all over Brittany as well, unrestricted by the strict criteria of the AOC, the Breton Moules de Bouchot tend to be slightly larger but are still grown in the same way.

In addition to the large fields of stakes needed to grow the mussels, it is essential that there is also a large differential between the high and low tides. A large tidal range is vital to ensure that the tall mussel posts are fully covered and exposed by the sea, twice a day, this not being possible everywhere.
In Brittany however, the tidal ranges are extremely high. St Malo has one of the highest tidal coefficients in the world; which equates to the height of water between the highest high tide and the lowest low which are greater in Northern Brittany than almost anywhere else on the planet. Only the Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada and certain locals in the Bristol Channel produce higher tidal coefficients.

The Mussels resolutely fixed to their posts, exposed to both air and sun as the tide ebbs and flows are only able to feed during the submerged period. They do not have the opportunity to feed all day and night, as some deep-water mussels do. This respite period, essential for Moules de Bouchot, gives the mussels the opportunity to grow at a slower rate thereby concentrating their flavour and also obtain additional elements from the nearby soil; something deep-water mussels are not able to do.

Through out the winter and the following spring the mussels develop and increase in size until the harvest.
La cueillette or the harvest is carried out between July and the March of the following year and is performed by machines which carefully strip the poles of mussels without damaging the poles, the ropes or the mussels, which are then ready for the pot!








Part V.

The AOC, what it says

On the 11th of July 2006 the ‘Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel’ were awarded an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. This award protects the rights of producers in the awarded region. It is only the full name ‘Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel’ which is protected and not the name ‘Moules de Bouchot,’ which are produced elsewhere in France, including Brittany.

The mussels have a regular shape and a dark shiny exterior tinged with blue. The flesh is dark orange or yellow and has melting texture with a dominant sweet flavour. The greatest advantage of growing mussels by the Bouchot system is that they are suspended fixed to their posts, in clean constantly moving water and as a result are free from internal parasites and grains of sand. A consequence of this is that Moule de Bouchot do not need purging prior to cooking.
Some shellfish raised in sandy conditions, cockles being a good example, need to be kept in clean sea water for a couple of days before being cooked. This allows the shellfish to expel all the grains of sand they have accumulated during their normal feeding cycle. With mussels grown in this manner purging is not required.

The mussels must be of the species Mytilus edulis and have a length not less than 4cm when they are sold.
The size of the flesh must meet certain minimum standards as set down by the Lawrence and Scott index for shellfish size. For the Moules de Bouchot they must have an index of at least 120, as per the following equation:

Index = meat dry weight (g) x 100/internal cavity volume (ml).
©Scott & Lawrence (1982):

Geographical zone.

1. The Mussel Park of the bay of Saint Michel is situated south of a line between Pointe de la Chaîne in the West (Brittany), and the spire of the Church at Carolles (Normandy).

2. The Mussels must be grown, prepared and stored within one of the following communes.
a. Cancale,
b. Cherrueix,
c. Le Vivier-sur-Mer,
d. Le Mont-Dol, Hirel,
e. Saint-Benoît-des-Ondes,
f. Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes.


3. The young mussels cannot be brought into the park any later than the 31st July

4. The nursery area must be cleared of all ropes and mussels by the 31st October.

5. The raising of mussels by the bouchot system requires growing mussels on wooden posts. The posts must be no longer than 5.5 metres long, and only the top 3.5 metres of the bouchot can be used for growing the mussels. This ensures the posts are well anchored and the mussels are grown well off the seabed.

6. It is illegal to fence in the Bouchots.

7. The mussels must be at least eleven months old before they can be classed as « Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel » and they are not permitted to be older than two years.

8. Each bouchot is only permitted to produce 60Kg of mussels.

9. The mussels can only be harvested between 15th June and the 15th February.

10. Mussels raised longer than 18 months can be harvested between 15th June and the 31st July of the following year.

11. After harvesting the mussels:

a. Cannot be stored for more than 10 days.
b. They must not be mixed with other mussels not named« Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel).

12. After storage in the purification area the mussels must be washed and cleaned only within the set geographical area.

13. The mussels once ready must not contain more than 5%Mytilus galloprovincialis or the mussel hybrid galloprovincialis-edulis.

14. They must be labelled « Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel »

15. They must be labelled with « appellation d'origine Contrôlée », with the name of the logo immediately before or after the name of the appellation.



Part VI.


Mussels are also raised around the Île de Ré in western France; where the locals are sure that their mussels are fatter and juicier than those from the Bay. The reason; the sea is warmer than in either Brittany or Normandy and the mussels from the west are certainly bigger. However, the region’s mussel farmers are coming to terms with the decision to award the desirable Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée designation to ‘Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel’ and not to those from Charent-Maritime. This has put the Norman mussels in the forefront of French mussel production and has reduced demand in the Charente-Maritime - which has been farming mussels since the 13th Century.

This does not mean that the mussel farmers of Normandy are without their own problems and for many years, mussel producers from the Bay of Mont Saint Michel have experienced difficulties. The Bay itself has been silting up and a reduction in the depth of water has meant that some areas are now not suitable for rearing the Moules de Bouchot.


The silting has been most noticeable in areas around Saint-Benoit and the towns of Hirel and Vivier-sur-Mer where much lower yields have been recorded.
To overcome these difficulties, the ‘Section Régionale Conchylicole’ (S.R.C) (Regional mussel farming group) for North Brittany has decided with the aid of the Département for Maritime Affairs, to reorganize mussel farming in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. This will hopefully allow mussel farms in the Cancale and Mont-Saint-Michel area to continue and ensure both quantity and quality.

Another longer-term solution is currently underway, and work has begun to restore the natural cleaning effect of the river Couesnon, which it is hoped, will flush the bay clear over the next twenty or thirty years and thus preserve the production of the Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont-Saint-Michel.

Read John Lichfield’s interesting article about the sinking island of Mont Saint Michel and what is being done to prevent it.


Buying, storing and preparing mussels.


When buying mussels, as with any other shellfish, it is vital that one buys from a reputable source. As mentioned in Part II, wild mussels should not be collected from the beach.

1. Mussels should have a shinny appearance and have a pleasant smell of the sea.
2. The majority of shells should be tightly closed which is an indication, not proof, that the mussel is alive and safe to eat.
3. Only buy mussels you can see. Do not accept any pre-packed bags from under the counter, which you have not had the opportunity to peruse.
4. In any purchase of mussels one will find some shells that are open, that is to be expected, mussels are a fragile commodity and there will always be some loss in transit and storage. However, anything more than 10% may indicate that the mussels are not really fresh, and it would be better to buy on another day.
5. The batch of mussels should not contain large numbers of broken shells, which shows bad storage and rough handling which will affect the quality of the product.
6. Mussels are usually put into plastic bags and then weighed and should be kept cool at all times. If you have a lot of shopping to do and the weather is warm then either,
a. Buy your mussels last, or:
b. Place them in a cool box with ice packs, to prevent the mussels dying before you get home.
7. Mussels can be stored in the bottom of a domestic fridge for 24 hours and then should be eaten.
8. On opening the plastic bag, several of the mussels will have opened. They are not necessarily dead but the change in temperature and humidity can cause the shells to open.
9. Before cooking, empty the mussels into a sink full of cold water. Any live mussels that have opened during storage will shut immediately.
10. Discard any mussels with broken shells; they are probably dead.
11. Discard any mussels that remain open; they are dead.
12. Discard any Mussels that float; they have trapped air inside the shell and indicate that the mussel could be dead.
13. Wash the mussels with water and look out for broken shells, which will not float and may have the appearance of being fully closed.
14. Very few Moules de Bouchot will have beards, (a collection of small fibrous threads by which the mussels attaches itself to the rope), they are not eaten and they can be easily removed, but it is not necessary.

This list sounds complicated, but is necessary and will only take five minutes of your time to wash and check a Kilogram of mussels, the normal amount served per person as a main course.




Part VII.


What follows are two very simple and popular methods of cooking mussels. Most recipes follow these two classic styles of cooking and different recipes are formed by using various different additional ingredients.

The third method is a regional speciality from around the Bay of Biscay (Gascony).

Steamed Mussels.



This method of cooking is probably the most popular method and includes such famous derivatives as Moules Marinière, in all its various and varied guises.







A mussel pan is ideal for cooking and serving this dish; the enlarged lid is used during the cooking process to retain the steam and later acts as a repository for the empty, discarded shells. Failing that a saucepan with a close fitting lid can be used and the mussels served in any large bowl.


The pan is placed on a medium high heat and the washed and checked mussels are added. Remember to discard any that are open. Add a glass of wine, cider or water, a little black pepper and steam the mussels with the lid on for about five minutes.
As the mussel’s cook, the shells open and a certain amount of seawater is released into the pan, no additional salt is therefore required.

During the cooking process, a combination of alginates in the seawater and the juices produced by the cooking mussels create foam, which will not be held back by a simple lid. For that reason it is better not to cook the mussels over a high heat, unless you want to be continuously removing the pan from the stove. Sufficient heat to steam the mussels is all that’s required and if a problem a small knob of butter added to the pan will abase the froth.
Half way through cooking add fresh herbs of your choice, replace the lid and finish cooking. If you wish, a little cream can be added for a richer sauce at this stage.
Serve in the original mussel pans with bread and a dry white wine or a Breton Cider and a huge bowl of chips.

Once served it is important to continue to be vigilant when eating mussels.
In any serving of cooked mussels there will be some that should not be eaten.
A mussel should be plump, full in body and not wrinkled, shrunken or shrivelled. Those that do not look appetising are best discarded, if in doubt pass on to another.



Reading this article, one may feel that eating mussels is a risky business and any would be gourmand is apt to be struck down with poisoning at every turn of the path. This of course is not the case, and very quickly the process of cleaning, checking and further checking the cooked mussels before eating, becomes second nature. The sensible preventative measures I have suggested using, before partaking in this wonderful food, become inconsequential when compared to the pleasure of eating this sublime harvest from the sea.


Moules Farcies.

Moules farcies, or stuffed mussels are easier to prepare than they first sound: for the mussels are not really stuffed at all. They can be served as either a first or a main course dish and the quantities should be varied accordingly.

1. Wash and check the mussels as per normal serving 250g as a first course and 500g as a main may be sufficient.
2. Steam the mussels open with a splash of white wine, as above, but don’t bother adding any other ingredients. The flavourings are added at a later stage.
3. When they are cooked, drain the mussels through a sieve and reserve the cooking liquor.
4. Discard any shells that have not opened and any mussels that look shrivelled and unappetising.
5. When cool, pull off and discard the shell which does not contain the mussel.
6. Arrange the mussels neatly on individual heatproof dishes or plates.
7. Melt some unsalted butter, crushed garlic, black pepper and some herbs, and spoon a little into each mussel shell; the amount depending on taste but this dish is made by ensuring plenty of butter is used.
8. Sprinkle a few fresh breadcrumbs into each shell and add a little of the mussel stock to each half shell.
9. Place each plate directly under a hot grill and cook for a couple of minutes until sizzling. Serve straight away.

This dish makes a wonderful informal lunch but with all seafood remember to serve fingerbowls of warm water with thick slices of cut lemon, to clean the fingers afterwards.
Although nothing can compare to fresh mussels, this method of cooking mussels can be adapted to frozen and vacuum packed ready cooked mussels.

The Éclade des Moules.


This is a mussel bake, popular along the beaches of the Bay of Gascony (Biscay) and in particular the region where mussel rearing was first developed. It is not practicable for everyday cooking, but makes a wonderful addition to an informal outdoors meal or barbecue.

The method could not be easier, pile mussels on a plank of wood two or three feet square, cover with a combustible layer, light and stand back and wait for the mussels to cook. In practice a little more patience and knowledge is required to fully enjoy this wonderful regional speciality.

1. It is necessary to soak the board in water for about an hour before you begin cooking. Not only does this prevent the wood burning, but it also helps the mussels cook evenly by the steam that is produced as the wood warms up.

2. When ready, rest the board on some stones ensuring it is level. Lifting the board off the ground even by a few inches will ensure the fire burns more efficiently.

3. In the centre of the board knock in four small nails to make a 2.5cm/1" square and place one mussel between each pair of nails, with the convex edge and hinge pointing uppermost. Mussels being bivalves have two symmetrical shells, which open when cooked. The mussels are placed on the board with their slightly concave seam facing down, which is extremely important as will be seen later. The nails facilitate the construction of the rosette.


4. Place another four mussels between the first four and continue adding further mussels to form a large rosette pattern. Start with the largest mussels and use the smaller ones towards the edge of the rosette. This not only looks attractive but also ensures that the larger mussels are placed where the heat will be highest, at the centre of the pile.


5. Cover the mussels completely with a 13cm/5" thick layer of dry pine needles; if not available then hay or straw can be used, the flavour will not be the same, slightly more material will be required, but it will still work.

6. Set light to the pile in four or five different equally spaced areas, stand back and allow the pile to burn for five or six minutes. When the flames have completely subsided carefully fan away the remaining ashes. Because the shells were placed the way they were, opening edge facing down, the two halves of the shell will have protected the mussel from the falling ash much as an umbrella protects against the rain.

Serve with a Cotes de Gascogne or a Pouilly Fumé, fresh bread, salted butter and large buckets of warm water for cleaning ones hands afterwards.
Remember to discard any mussels that have not fully opened.

Video of mussels cooking to follow in the New Year


References

http://gastronomades.canalblog.com/archives/2006/08/29/2565056.html
http://www.englishirishdictionary.com/dictionary
http://www.foodrisk.org/dynamic3.cfm?keyword=Shellfish
http://www.ifremer.fr/aquaculture/fr/mollusques/moule.htm
http://perso.orange.fr/jgodefroy/moulet.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/23/dining/23france.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5088&en=6c7e7e16bc3324d2&ex=1313985600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/129692.stm
http://www.eurofish.dk/indexSub.php?id=3053&easysitestatid=-228395698
http://www.medisite.fr/medisite/Les-moules.html
http://www.baie-mont-saint-michel.fr/fr/la_conchyliculture.php
http://www.cnc-france.com/maj/presse/documents/the_shellfish_culture_in_France.pdf
Map of the Bay
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&ukwidth=289&ukheight=301&scale=2000000&lang=&overviewmap=FR_over&db=&g.x=57&g.y=85

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article1187012.ece

Interesting sites

Pictures of Noirmoutiers
http://www.vacances-en-vendee.com/photos/NOIRMOUTIER/gallerie.html


Copyright Malcolm Hamilton 2006 ©