Our best mussels recipes

  • Conchyliculteur de la lagune de Thau
  • Moules de la lagune de Thau
Conchyliculteur de la lagune de ThauMoules de la lagune de Thau

Nearly 3000 tons of Mediterranean mussels are produced each year in the Thau lagoon. And here, cooking them is an art. Ready for a tasting?

  • - © Hugo Da Costa
  • - © Hugo Da Costa

Discovery and delicacies


While on a trip to Mèze, I wander around the city centre and discover the covered halls. The atmosphere is friendly, the merchants call each other from one stand to another, and offer passers-by to taste their products. After picking bits of melons and a few olives, I stop in front of a shellfish farmer's stall.

He asked me to taste the mussel track. I, who only knew about marine mussels, am not being asked to do anything! These mussels, cooked, are marinated in olive oil and lemon and perfectly seasoned. A delight!

Amused by my enthusiasm, the producer explains to me that nearly 3000 tons of Mediterranean mussels are produced each year in the Thau lagoon. Near here, some producers even offer them for tasting on their production site, cooked in "brasucade", i.e. cooked on a vine stock grill, and sprinkled with sauce as they are cooked. I can't believe it!

When I explain to him that I will certainly discover this recipe before returning to my hotel in Sète, he explains that I will be able to discover the stuffed mussels, which after having simmered for a long time in a tomato-based sauce, can be enjoyed with rice, pasta or potatoes.

No doubt, this holiday will certainly be gourmet...