Zeeland mussels steamed in white wine, shallots and parsley then served in the cooking pot alongside double-fried Flemish frites with mayonnaise: the canonical Belgian brasserie dish available in Ghent from late July.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
Zeeland mussels arrive at Ghent's Groentenmarkt fishmongers from late July when the first harvest comes in from the Zealand beds in the Netherlands. Mosselen met friet is the Belgian national brasserie dish; in Ghent it is most closely associated with the Pakhuis brasserie at the Schuurkenstraat, which serves it as its headline seasonal dish. The combination of steamed mussels and double-fried frites dates to mid-20th century Belgian brasserie culture, when Zeeland mussels became reliably available to inland Flemish cities by rail.
Common allergens: Shellfish, Dairy, Gluten
Tip from the editors. The cooking time is brief; overcooking toughens the mussel texture from silky to rubbery. Three minutes covered on high heat is enough.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Pakhuis fills a converted 19th-century warehouse behind a central alley. The cavernous glass-roofed interior keeps a menu of daily-fresh oysters, moules.
Order: Moules frites: the mussels arrive in a deep cast-iron pot and the frites alongside are fried to order.
Tip: Book ahead for weekend dinner; the warehouse vibe is worth it for a big-group celebration.
't Klokhuys runs out of a narrow Patershol house and is one of the most cited places in the city for Gentse waterzooi. The room seats fewer than 30 people.
Order: Gentse waterzooi with chicken: the stock is rich, the vegetables are cooked right through.
Tip: Book at least two days ahead; the room is tiny and fills weeks ahead in summer.
More cities are in research. Want mosselen met friet (mussels with frites) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.