Billi B

RE: Billi B (billyboy)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:50:51 GMT

Thanks John, they sound delicious. I knew I had heard the name before. Les Halles, a French brasserie here in NYC does mussels about six different ways and very deliciously. They have Billi-Bi on the menu made with saffron, cream and Vermouth. Have yet to try it.

RE: Billi B (seafarer john)

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:43:02 GMT

It works beautifully with oysters. But you are correct in that the basic recipe usually calls for mussels and it is equally good with either of those shellfish. The chef at Gadalettos always makes it with oysters. The saffron is a background flavor, hot pepper is the dominant flavor after the shellfish . I think there's a lot of recipes that dont even call for saffron, but I think it would be pretty dull looking without that yellow saffron color.

For a recipe Google Billi Bi - The best one I found is Called Breton Billi Bi - supposed to be the original.

Cheers, John

RE: Billi B (bdtn)

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:17:35 GMT

I thought billi bi was mussel and saffron soup.
it sounds like it would be good with oysters
i wonder how the saffron would go with the oysters

bill

RE: Billi B (Foodbme)

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:02:42 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by seafarer john

We had lunch at Gadaletto's here in New Paltz last Friday. The chef made up a big bowl of Billi B for me - it's a delicious creamy spicy oyster stew. I followed that with a small Chef's Salad with fresh marinated anchovies as a garnish - also delicious. All of this was accompanied by a bottle of slightly bitter hoppy Keegan's Hurricane Kitty ale (Kingston, NY brewery). We wound up our meal sharing a big dish of warm custardy bread pudding and coffees.

Because the restaurant is part of a seafood retail shop, just about any fish available in the shop is available to be cooked to your preference - so you are not limited to the items listed on the relatively short menu. Billi B, for instance, is not a menu item, but the chef is prepared to make up a batch any time someone orders it. As to the bread pudding, that's not on the menu either, but the waitress will tell you if it is available that day, if you ask.
This system s not particularly friendly to newcomers, but works great for local regulars.

Cheers, John

Can you get the recipe for Billi B?

Billi B (seafarer john)

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:52:37 GMT

We had lunch at Gadaletto's here in New Paltz last Friday. The chef made up a big bowl of Billi B for me - it's a delicious creamy spicy oyster stew. I followed that with a small Chef's Salad with fresh marinated anchovies as a garnish - also delicious. All of this was accompanied by a bottle of slightly bitter hoppy Keegan's Hurricane Kitty ale (Kingston, NY brewery). We wound up our meal sharing a big dish of warm custardy bread pudding and coffees.

Because the restaurant is part of a seafood retail shop, just about any fish available in the shop is available to be cooked to your preference - so you are not limited to the items listed on the relatively short menu. Billi B, for instance, is not a menu item, but the chef is prepared to make up a batch any time someone orders it. As to the bread pudding, that's not on the menu either, but the waitress will tell you if it is available that day, if you ask.
This system s not particularly friendly to newcomers, but works great for local regulars.

Cheers, John