Delicious mussels.
Mussels are tasty, inexpensive, nutritious, sustainable (that will keep all the folk at SASSI happy) and are in plentiful supply.
So why is it so hard to get a decent bowl of these fresh beauties in Cape Town?
I mean, we are 3/4’s surrounded by fresh unpolluted ocean, and, in fact, you can actually forage on beaches for your own for free (licences and limits apply).
I can only count on the fingers on one hand, or toes on one foot, the number of restaurants who offer fresh mussels on their menu.
I cannot think of a single fish retailer (except for Southern Cross in Tokai and Palmyra Junction) who sell fresh mussels. All the supermarkets sell are canned and frozen varieties.
What’s the issue? Do Capetonians dislike them? I’d find this hard to believe as they go mad for sushi, and oysters, and crayfish. Actually, Capetonians are great seafood eaters.
Tasty beauts.
I think mussels are a great seafood and make a delicious dish, served up in minutes. There’s nothing better than a big bowl of mussels, freshly wokked in a white wine sauce with finely chopped spring onions, chives and a touch of fresh garlic and ginger. Knock these back with a glass of chilled wine and crunchy freshly baked French baguette and you are in gastronomic heaven.
I’m really just posing the question to see if any of our chef readers could reply and let me know what they think.
The best reply from a chef gets an enormous bottle of Chateau Libertas ( I mean huge), in a wooden box, delivered to their restaurant, with their name on it.
Tomorrow I am off to sample some fresh mussels at the Good Food and Wine show.
Blue Bay Premium Shellfish from Saldanha Bay have a stand there, and for just R100 you’ll get a pot of mussels, chips, freshly prepared mayonnaise and a beer. If you bring back the pot and wooden pot holder, you’ll get R40 back and pay just R60 for a taste of the ocean, prepared traditionally by steaming with celery, onion, white wine and butter.
What’s not to like?
Chateau Libertas - the 'auld reliable.
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I agree Clare. Nothing beats Moules & Frites with a crisp white wine for lunch on a hot summers day, and we do have plenty of those here in Cape Town.
Hi Claire,
In Sicily (where i come from), Mussels are just a daily dish! Here in SA mussels are just great. big, meaty and tasty like nowhere else!!
In Sicily we eat a lot of them in summer by simply cook them in a big pot (no water) and add just white wine, pepper and parsley. Cook them till pop open and then use some nice crisp bread to enjoy the juice.
Oh, wine….. white, cold in 5 liter canisters..
In Winter i prefer instead mussel cooked “Pais Bais” style: with cream, dijon mustard, a lot of leek and white wine…
Oh, wine, yes… red this time….
Hi clare. I agree with you. They are a fantastic local item. -i serve them at Cargills whenever I can get them in fresh. Our guests love them best in a traditional champagne garlic parsley cream. I also do a tomato chilli version for some guests. .My supplier is Just Island foods and they deliver fresh. Dripping of sea water in 5kg bags. Yes red tide can and does occur but they are very good at letting us know when supply will be interrupted.
Hi Clare
One of my favorit dish for sure. I think most people over cook mussel firts and try to over power the taste of the mussel itself and that put customer off the dish plus the season is only 6 month and most restaurant in the cape changed they menu only once a year so to avoid having a dish unavailable for most of the year restaurant dont put it on.
PS:I am back in Cape Town and would love to catch up Clare, give me a call.
Andre