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Mussels
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Anonymous
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My husband and I are going to the Mannequin Pis for dinner next week. They supposedly have great mussels that you can get by the pot. I don't think I ever had mussels. I checked the website and they have a great variety of choices under the mussels pot. Since we are going there, I'd like to try them. But I have a questions about the menu: For example:
Mariniére - Celery, Onion, Herbs and White Wine. Does this mean the mussels were marinated in it or is that the sauce they come with? Sorry for the very naive and stupid questions, but I am just confused. http://mannequinpis.com |
Anonymous
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mussels are cooked in liquid until the shells open. What liquid and seasonings can vary widely. To get an idea of how they are cooked, here's a recipe: http://www.ehow.com/how_4611881_mussels-garlic-white-wine-sauce.html
Mussels are generally served in a big pot (or bowl) still in the shells. You use a little fork to pluck the meat out of the shell. Crusty bread is usually served with it and you can dunk that in the liquid (yummy!). Do you like clams and oysters? Mussels are very similar. I love, love, love them, but not everyone does. |
Anonymous
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OP,
To clarify: The mussels are not submerged in the liquid. The bottom ones are in the liquid of course, but the bulk are steamed until the shell opens. They are heavenly! I've been meaning to get to Mannequin Pis forever. Let us know! |
Anonymous
| Yes, it's like a broth that the mussels are steamed in. |
Anonymous
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Yum-Mannequin Pis rocks-great mussels, awesome frites and a Belgian beer lover's paradise. However, for cheap fun, make mussels at home. A two pound bag of P.E.I. usually doesn't cost more than five bucks. Take white wine or beer, shallots, garlic, lots of butter and the secret ingrediant-a bottle of clam juice. Add a can of diced tomatoes for a red sauce. Steam and enjoy!
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Anonymous
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The annoying thing about making mussels at home, though, is pulling off all the beards and cleaning them thoroughly so you don't get any grit.
Personally I find it a huge pain in the butt and would rather pay a restaurant to make them for me, even though I can make a whole lot more for the same price at home. |
Anonymous
| OMG! I'm SO jealous! MP's is fantastic! You will LOVE it! It will spoil you for mussels anywhere else. I love the "snob" dish, or something like that. It's got a lobster bisque base. |
Anonymous
| off topic, but can someone clarify for me how mannequin pis is pronounced? i hear it as piss in my head but is it pee? |
Anonymous
The majority of mussels found in stores today are prescrubbed and debearded. I just rinse them thoroughly in a colander and shake them around a bit before tossing them into the pot. Discard the ones that don't close. I'm telling you, this is one of the easiest things to make at home-try it! |
Anonymous
It's piss. |
Anonymous
| It's not piss. It's pees. (French major posting.) |
Anonymous
They come in that sauce. You can dip your bread in it, and it is to die for! The mussels in dijonnaise sauce (sp?) there are fantastic. |
Anonymous
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Hi, sorry French major but this is not a French phrase.
I lived in Antwerp as a teenager and speak fluent Flemish. This phrase "manneken pis" or sometimes written "mannequin pis" is Flemish and means the little man who's peeing (or the little boy ... depends on the context). The French-speaking Belgians call it by its Flemish name or sometimes "le petit garcon qui fait pee-pee." It's pronounced "piss." If you want to get really technical about it, the n at the end of the first word isn't pronounced. So if you were in Brussels, you would call it "man - eh - keh piss." The i in pis is short -- a little brighter than an English short i but you don't say "peess" either. |
Anonymous
| Hi Flemish speaker here again. I forgot to mention that the French speaking Belgians often refer to the statue as "le petit Julien." I think it has something to do with a legendary story about who the boy was. |
Anonymous
| French major here. I thought it was French. Thanks for the correction. Also, it's faire pipi by the way. (Not pee-pee.) Here's to mussels! |