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Brasucade
Grilled mussels with garlic and parsley
Brasucade: Languedoc mussels grilled over a vine-wood fire with garlic and parsley oil
At village fêtes around the étang de Thau in Languedoc, and on beaches in summer, people gather round a brasucade: mussels piled into a large pierced pan over a fire of vine prunings until they open, then doused with a garlicky oil of parsley and a little chilli and tossed. It is smoky, juicy and eaten by hand with bread. A barbecue grill works at home. Chef's tip: use a lid or a sheet of foil over the pan; the trapped steam opens the mussels evenly while the fire adds smoke.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the mussels
- 4 ⅜ lb live musselsscrubbed, beards pulled off
For the dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlicvery finely chopped
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- ½ tsp black pepper
To serve
- 1 loaf crusty bread
- 1 lemon (optional)in wedges
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Check the 4 ⅜ lb live mussels: throw away any with cracked shells, and any open ones that don't close when tapped firmly. Keep them in the fridge until cooking.
5 minStep 2: Mix the ½ cup olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, ½ tsp chilli flakes and ½ tsp black pepper.
5 minStep 3: Light a charcoal or wood barbecue and wait until the flames die down to hot coals. Put the mussels in a wide perforated pan or a large disposable foil tray with holes punched in it.
5 minStep 4: Set the pan over the coals, cover with foil and cook for 5–8 minutes, shaking twice, until all the shells have opened and the mussels are plump and orange-cream. A common mistake is cooking on and on waiting for the last few: throw away any that stay shut.
8 minStep 5: Pour the dressing over, toss well and cook 1 minute more. Serve straight away with 1 loaf crusty bread and 1 lemon.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does brasucade take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of flat-leaf parsley?
- Curly parsley or coriander, same amount.
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