What better place to eat shellfish than directly from the producer? The Étang de Thau near Sète is known for its many oyster farms, and you can’t get them any fresher anywhere. One excellent place to go is Coqui Thau, a family business since the 1980s. It started as a small oyster farm and has grown into a serious business. Including two restaurants where you can taste the fresh produce: Coqui Thau and Côté Jardin. The family and I first tested Coqui Thau, but we will be back for Côté Jardin!
Spéciale Coqui Thau
Christian Vila started as a fisherman in 1981 and decided to produce oysters in 1985 by simply setting up two production tables- or frames that stand in the water. And now- almost forty years later- his children Eric and Laure have joined him, and the Mas (as an oyster farm is called) now has seven production tables. Whilst they are first and foremost shellfish producers, the family also organises tastings and tours so that you can discover the farm and the profession. Also, you can buy their produce on the spot or at local markets. They even produce their own oyster, the ‘Spéciale Coqui Thau’. What’s so special about it? Instead of leaving the oysters in the water to grow, the ropes on which they are attached get lifted from the water for a few hours. This eliminates the algae and creates a better flesh texture.
Raw mussels
Coqui Thau is the restaurant in front of the lagoon, run by son Eric and his wife, Julie. Expect an authentic experience, with simple tables and chairs between wooden frames and fishnets and, of course, a view of the Étang de Thau. The menu is straightforward and mainly offers oysters and mussels. However, you can also get shrimp, snails from the lagoon, and tielles, the octopus pie from Sète. We ordered a Medium Mix (15.70 euros) and an oyster trio (I forgot the price and to take a picture) with three different dressings. The Medium Mix included three raw oysters, three raw mussels, three gratinated oysters and six gratinated mussels. I finally tasted a raw mussel; somehow, this didn’t appeal to me before. But here, surrounded by shellfish lovers, it only seemed natural. And it was good (although I wouldn’t order a whole plate).
Secret sauce
The option for our mains was uncomplicated, too: five steaming pans of mussels prepared on the spot. Like the gratinated shellfish, these mussels come with their own unique- and secret- sauce. And that’s how you enjoy mussels in the South of France. None of the kids said another word until the bottom of the pan was in sight (which took about five minutes…). For dessert, Chéri and I tried another first. Not raw this time, but a gourmet oyster with… chocolate, a nutty crunch and red Noilly Prat (which equally comes from Marseillan). This was very unexpected and surprising! The kids weren’t that adventurous and opted safely for an artisanal ice cream.
