Whatsit Wednesday: a mussel pan

From August to September is the best time to eat a Belgian delicacy served in many restaurants and homes throughout the country: mussels. Mussels are mollusks, but are not clams. A mussel has an elongated shell compared to clams. Mussels can be freshwater or saltwater, but it is the saltwater variety that Belgium is known for. 

Most Belgians will be able to tell you how to eat mussels and many will even have a special pan in the house to prepare the tasty meal. The mussels are often eaten with “firieten” (French fries). These pans are made specifically for preparing mussels and can be stainiless steel, enamel-coated steel (most of them) or even cast iron. They are designed to steam the mussels. 

Recipes for mussels include cooking in butter, oil or even beer or wine before steaming in order to add flavor. When the mussels are prepared correctly, the shell opens and the delicacy can be removed and eaten. If they are open before cooking, you should not eat them. You should also discrad any that do not open after cooking. 

The whole process can be done in about 10 minutes, making this a favorite meal for groups together. It is a bit like gathering around a fondue, but everyone gathers around the pan. It uses all the things Belgians like in a meal: butter, garlic, beer or wine and seafood - as well as “frieten”. 

People here wait for the first fresh mussels and get their pans ready or plan their next outing to a local restaurant. Do you have a mussel pan? Do you have a special recipe that you use for mussels? Have you ever had mussels? My family loves them, although I personally do not eat them.