Of the many methods for cooking with live fire, few rival the simplicity, speed, and flavor-to-effort ratio of the éclade de moules. This traditional dish (going back at least to the 13th century) is from the French département of Charente-Maritime, which sits on the Atlantic coast north of Bordeaux. It originated when hungry mussel foragers carried their haul up from the sea to the pine forests along the coast and used the fuel they found there to cook their catch quickly and deliciously, without pans or implements. This was often done directly on the ground, on a flat area of dried mud, but over time wooden boards became de rigueur, as they keep the food cleaner.
Mussels generally come in two-pound bags, so you’ll want two or three bags depending on the size of your board and the number of people you’re feeding. Traditionally, they’re cooked on a round wooden board a couple of feet across; if you have the carpentry skills and are so inclined, you could cut and attach a few planks together to create such a substrate. Unless you have a big round board, though, it’s probably best to think of this as an appetizer rather than a main course.
The method couldn’t be simpler. Soak your board for at least four hours before cooking, which helps keep it from catching on fire. Hammer four nails about an inch apart into a cross shape at the center of your board so that the heads protrude at least an inch. Start with the larger mussels first, and lean them against the nails, hinge side up (this keeps the ash from getting inside) and the point angled toward the center of your board. Now work your way around, placing the mussels in concentric rings or a spiral until they’re all arranged. Make sure they’re crowded together tightly so they can’t pop open during cooking and ruin your beautiful arrangement. Spread the pine needles generously over the top so that you can’t see any mussels—you want a layer at least a couple of inches thick, but four or so is ideal. Then light the needles in several places, starting at the base, and fan the flames into a conflagration. Once they burn down to ash, you can fan or blow the ash away and begin eating.
Serve them on the still-smoking board or transfer them to a platter. Crusty bread and salted butter (and a glass of cold white wine) are the traditional accompaniments, as is a bowl of boiled new potatoes, but the mussels are also amazing piled on top of a green salad or added to a larger seafood spread or raw bar situation. You could also use the mussels as components in other dishes, or toss them in a little melted butter and hot sauce and stuff them into hot dog buns, lobster roll–style.
It’s easy, impressive (and very social media–friendly), and above all it’s primal—an inspiring way to enlist flames to make your dinner. Besides the elegance of the arranged shells and the drama of a whooshing fire, the pine needles impart a delightfully smoky flavor to the mussels that plays beautifully with their briny character: a real fusion of land and sea. An éclade de moules is also a terrific way to eat in high style but lower on the food chain, as farmed shellfish are one of the healthiest and most sustainable forms of seafood. So rejoice, and fire up an éclade at your next cookout, campfire, or clambake.
The Gear You’ll Need
- You’ll need a good-sized plank, 1-by-12 or 2-by-12, cut a couple of feet long. Don’t use pressure-treated wood or plywood: the chemicals in the former and the glue in the latter are toxic, and you don’t want those fumes near your food. You’ll also need four nails at least a couple of inches long, and a hammer to hit them with. And you’ll need an armload or two of bone-dry pine needles (foraged or store-bought) as fuel for your fire, and something to light the fire with. Buy needles from a local garden center rather than a big box store, where the quality can be inconsistent.
- If you don’t have pine needles, you could try other dried plant material. Dried fava bean stalks are another traditional fuel source, but most people prefer pine needles because they burn faster. A longer cook time means your mussels might get rubbery. Dried grass could work well, but not lawn clippings—think long dead grass from the edge of a meadow, or maybe beach grass. They won’t give you the piney flavor, but they’ll burn fast.
Be sure to set this up somewhere safe, far from combustible materials, as you would any other type of cooking fire.
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