Eclade de Moules

We've often thought of going to one of these evenings, and finally got to do it. The photos show the mussels before, during, and after the cooking process when they are covered in pine needles and set alight.
There were 70 or 80 of us at cafe on the quayside of a small port, and we had an apero followed by a tartine with pate, and then as many mussels as we could eat!
We ate with our fingers and became covered in charcoal and charred bits of pine needle, but there were buckets filled with water and sliced lemons to wash in afterwards, the biggest fingerbowls I've ever seen!
To finish there was cheese and fresh apricot tart and dancing to dodgy French pop music, a good time was had by all!