France’s mussel-growing is concentrated in Brittany, but some of the most prized mussels are from Normandy. Bouchot mussels from the bay of Mont-St-Michel are nurtured in the waters in front of the Benedictine abbey, and farmers have been using the same growing methods since the ninth century.

Dreaming of slurping up some good mussels in rich broth, my interest was piqued last week when I read that Kinkawooka Shellfish was celebrating their new season Petit Bouchot Mussels with a traditional cook up at both the Adelaide Central Market and the Adelaide Showground Farmers’ Market. Riding on a wave of success following their 2011 Delicious Magazine ‘Product of the Year’ award, Kinkawooka (an Aboriginal word meaning clear water) has again produced a small, seasonal crop of the classic French style petit bouchot mussels, adopting methods used in the traditional farming of mussels in France.

And so, last Sunday morning I rugged up and headed for the Farmers’ Market. I grabbed a strong, creamy latte from the Abbots & Kinney caravan at the entrance just as the bell ‘rang in’ the market, and made a beeline for the Kinkawooka stall.

Photo courtesy of Kinkawooka Shellfish

Soon I was talking mussels with Kinkawooka’s Andrew Puglisi, a fifth generation fisherman. I discovered that their petit bouchot mussels are only available from the beginning of June to the end of September, in limited quantity, before the launch of the mussel season. Characterised by their small size, soft and tender texture and sweet flavour they are one of the most prized eating mussels in Australia, and snapped up by chefs.

The revered shellfish company has developed a genius vacuum-packing system called sea-sure that re-creates the briny environment the mussels are plucked from, helping to reduce stress on the live mussels and preserve their natural sweetness and softness, resulting in a mussel that is far superior in freshness and flavour. It also means that live mussels can be whisked to domestic and overseas retailers within 48 hours of harvesting.

The Kinkawooka mussel farms are located in the deep, cold, pristine waters of the Great Southern Ocean on the West Coast of South Australia, with sites across Port Lincoln’s Boston Bay. A leader in the aquaculture industry in Australia, the company surpasses the most rigorous standards of quality assurance and is a standout in sustainable aquaculture, ensuring minimal impact on the environment. Like all of Kinkawooka’s mussel crops, les petits bouchots are seeded using spat harvested from the wild.

For me, the real drawcard is that these fresh-as-a-daisy mussels are pot ready; scrubbed clean, de-bearded and ready to go in 1 kg bags. Take away the usual prep time, and a meal of mussels is incredibly quick and easy to cook and plate up. Andrew also tells me that they are rich in omega 3, iodine, potassium, zinc and selenium, and have more iron than a fillet steak! Oh, and that old wives tale about throwing away any that are unopened after cooking – simply not true. Prise open and eat. Do, however, throw away any that don’t smell fresh and sweet.

After picking up a recipe with my mussels, a kind of moules marinières with cider, I gather a few other goodies called for in the recipe and head home for a cook up.

I melt a walnut-sized knob of butter, add a sliced shallot and a fat clove of tangy Bull Creek organic garlic.

Next, I glug in 100ml of apple cider from McLaren Vale Orchards, pour in my 1 kg bag of mussels and cook with the lid on for around 3 -4 minutes. Et Voilà! The mussels open. I throw in a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley and stir in a tablespoon or so of incredibly thick and luscious crème fraîche from the Alexandrina Cheese Company, made from pure Jersey cream.

My recipe recommends Pepe Saya crème fraîche, a cultured cream made the authentic way. This Sydney company also creates a creamy cultured butter, so good that the hand churned, hand cut artisan pats are supplied to Qantas first class and business passengers on international flights. (South Australians can purchase Pepe Saya products from Say Cheese in the Adelaide Central Market.).

Photo courtesy of Kinkawooka Shellfish

I ladle the rowdy, clanging mussels into bowls and serve with rustic bread and cider. They are sweetly perfumed and soft, the broth wonderfully intense and as I slurp it up I am transported, for a moment, to France.

N.B. Kinkawooka mussels are also available at Foodland and Romeo IGAs around Adelaide, Samtass Seafoods in Keswick and at the Willunga Farmers’ Market on Saturdays.

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Michael George Angelakis migrated to Australia in the 1920s from the Greek island of Symi in the Aegan and began fishing the rough waters of the Great Australian Bight in a borrowed dinghy. Today, in its fourth generation, the Australian owned, family operated company is synonymous with seafood and a leading supplier of quality seafood in Adelaide and the state, as well as poultry and game.

The Seafood King, Michael Angelakis and Charlene from WEA

This week, I managed to escape the ‘moving madness’ for an afternoon to attend a Seafood Master Class at WEA with Michael Angelakis – third generation fishmonger in the family with 45 years knowledge in the school of fish. The ‘Seafood King’ is a well-known Adelaide identity with a big personality and a TV show Out of the Blue. In the series, he delights in cooking up local seafood in different parts of the Australian coast and the world against beautiful backdrops with his mate Michael Keelan.

The WEA offers a wide range of courses in food and wine and today there are 70 guests clamouring to hear Michael talk about fish and to see him cook, a few too many for my liking, but such is his popularity. We start with delicious appetisers cooked up by the WEA tutor for ‘Practical Indian’ paired with wine from Zerella in McLaren Vale.

The first hour is dedicated to learning about the preparation of fish and seafood. ‘The most important thing is to understand your product,’ says Michael. ‘It’s all about enhancing the natural flavour.’ With the help of his sous chef we are shown how to fillet, clean and prepare a range of South Australian produce including octopus, King George whiting, tommy ruffs, prawns and blue swimmer crabs. ‘A great combination is sherry and crab.’ He delivers advice on how to cut to get maximum recovery, and cautions to never throw away anything.

Blue Swimmer Crab

Tools are held up, from a fish scaler and magnetic knife protector to the exquisite Mike Hunt knives from Streaky Bay, snug in their leather pouches. As Michael demonstrates, he explains how the fishery works on the cycle of the moon and tells us about the world’s largest wholesale fish market, Tsukiji in Japan, where the public can apply to attend the live early morning tuna auctions.

Handmade Mike Hunt Knives

He jumps from anecdote to anecdote and the class is salt and peppered with tips such as ‘Just […] grill or bake salmon trout, don’t do anything else, and wipe fish down after filleting, never wash.’ He reinforces time and again that the greatest lesson he has learnt is to keep everything simple so that the dish takes on the flavour of the Coorong or wherever it is from…don’t mess with the natural flavours. ‘Many of the top chefs I know use four or five ingredients tops in their recipes, like swordfish with parsley, olive oil and garlic.’ He goes on to explain that one of the hardest fish to fillet is garfish but it’s one of the nicest eating fish. ‘Dad used to simply roll them in seasoned flour, grill them, and eat them off the bone.’

I was happy to hear him sing the praises of Kinkawooka ‘good to go’ mussels. I love buying a packet of these sweet, pot ready mussels from Boston Bay. Sold cleaned, debearded and packed live in their own juices, these premium black mussels have a shelf life of 10 days, meaning you can buy them ahead of time and they can sit in your fridge for a few days if necessary. At Boston Bay and in the surrounding pristine waters you will also find Australia’s largest commercial tuna fishing fleet and premium prawns, abalone and crays. It’s the hub of wild harvest and aquaculture fisheries in South Australia and I was lucky enough a few years back to be sent to do a story on the region, accompanying an abalone diver and seeing the tuna fleet first-hand.

After a short break, the second lesson in the school of fish is the demonstration of four recipes, with tastings.

The first is Barbecued Octopus, which sets off the smoke alarm! An Angelakis family recipe with the flavours of the Agean Sea, the octopus is marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, pepper and salt before being charcoaled. ‘It’s a signature dish we have cooked around the world, including for the King and Queen of Sweden,’ says Michael.

Cajun Fish Steak

Next up is Cajun Fish Steaks made with kingfish. Michael believes that once you know something about the spices of a dish and where they come from that you start getting images of food, see the romance of  food, and understand the history. Plates are circulating around the room as he speaks followed by a trail of cayenne pepper and sweet paprika.

Then comes Atlantic Salmon wrapped in Prosciutto. As he pan fries the fish Michael warns to leave the middle raw as it continues to cook when you take it off the heat. ‘Never overcook fish!’ This is a simple yet impressive dish that is great with garlic mash and Asian greens or asparagus.

We conclude with a couple of Drunken Prawns, a flashback to the wine bars and taverns of the 70s, when they were served in ramekins. The prawns are marinated in garlic (he never crushes, just thinly slices), olive oil, bay, red chilli and lemon juice before being flambéed in whisky or brandy. There is a sudden, bright flash of fire to finish that matches the Seafood King’s vibrant energy, and I head home with my recipes, inspired to cook.

Pity the pots and pans have just been packed.

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