French explorer Samuel de Champlain, known as fhe father of New France, was also apparently a pretty good cook. In 1605, he reportedly brought this recipe for Leclade, a traditional French dish of mussels, to the New World.
In an ode to his Acadian roots, Toronto’s Wayne Morris, chef/owner of Boralia, updated the recipe. For the original dish, Champlain buried mussels under burning pine needles in Morris’s version, he takes the technique to a whole new level.
“We retained Samuel de Champlain’s approach and style but worked very hard to make a dish which we could serve in our restaurant,” he says. After six months of trying different variations, he’s created a recipe which is earthy and delicious and can also be made at home.
But a word of warning: this is best prepared outside.
Recipe:
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