How to cook mussels in shells? How to cook mussels - the right tips for cooking Mussels pp.

In the shell, what are their benefits to humans and how they can harm. Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to eat them or whether it is better to refuse such a favorite delicacy. And also with what dishes can be prepared using these underwater inhabitants.

What it is?

Before we talk about how to cook mussels in a shell, we will tell you about the seafood themselves. It is generally believed that this is very useful, healthy food, containing a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals with a low calorie content. Marine bivalves live in all oceans and seas, and today there are even special farms on which they are grown for Food Industry... The production of shellfish takes a year and a half. This is how long it takes for the seafood to grow to marketable size.

They sell mussels in shells, the recipe for their preparation provides for the use of only tightly closed mollusks, without damaging the hard shell. They must smell like the sea, this is a sure sign that the mussels are fresh. If at the end of cooking the shutters remain closed, it is strictly forbidden to eat such seafood. In stores, boiled and then frozen shellfish are most often sold. Before cooking, they should be thawed at room temperature and be sure to smell: if the smell is foreign, the product is spoiled. If the aroma is pleasant, then you can safely cook them further.

Delicacy

In seashells, we will tell you a little later. Now let's talk about what part of the shellfish is edible. Muscle (meat), fluid and mantle are good food. This is a very tender and sweetish meat. The muscle that opens and closes the valves is, in principle, not poisonous, but it is tough and tasteless.

Prepare marine life different ways: boiled, stewed, fried, baked, salted, smoked. They are part of various dishes, and are also an independent dish or appetizer. Mussels that have undergone heat treatment should be eaten immediately, they cannot be stored or reheated: this is fraught with poisoning. Only short-term heat treatment is allowed before opening the doors, and then quick freezing: this way seafood can be stored for three months.

Several recipes

Now it's time to tell you how to cook mussels in a shell. The easiest way is to boil them. For 1 kg of shellfish, you need to take a liter of water, the juice of one lemon, salt and other spices to taste. The seafood is thoroughly washed, the shells are cleaned of limestone deposits, suckers, sand and algae. If ajar flaps are found, then the mussels are ruthlessly thrown away. Boil spice water and lemon juice, pour it over the clams so that the shells are not covered. Keep on fire for no more than five minutes and remove.

Recipe number 2: mussels in sauce. For a kilogram of seafood you will need:

• one lemon;
• 80 ml of vegetable oil (preferably olive);
• five cloves of garlic;
• herbs and spices to taste.

The washed and sorted mollusks are poured with boiling water and warmed up until the flaps open slightly, after which they are removed. While the mussels are boiling, prepare the sauce: put the garlic cloves in the heated oil until a light aroma appears. Then we take out the teeth and lower the seafood without the upper flap. Squeeze lemon there, add chopped herbs and spices. Simmer under the lid for no more than seven minutes. Sprinkle the finished dish with lemon juice. You can boil mussels in water with white wine (1: 1). Then the dish acquires a spicy flavor and a light aroma of summer.

Third way. It is very easy to cook mussels in shells in the oven according to the French recipe. The ingredients are the same: a kilogram of shellfish, spices and salt to taste, fresh herbs, lemon juice and hot chili. So, we wash and sort out seafood, clean the shells. Now we put them on a baking sheet, frying pan or on hot coals and fry for 10-15 minutes. Next, put them on a dish, sprinkle with lemon juice, sprinkle with herbs and pepper. You can eat them with wine or beer, as well as without anything. Bon Appetit!

Benefit and harm

So, the reader already knows how to cook mussels in a shell. Now it's time to dwell on the benefits and dangers of these delicious seafood.

Their benefit lies in the high content of nutrients - protein, mineral salts, fatty acids and amino acids, vitamins A, B, PP, B12. The use of mussels has a positive effect on the thyroid gland, nervous system, blood circulation, helps to eliminate toxins from the body.

The harm to shellfish is that they can contain poison if grown in the wrong conditions. Sand can also be found deep in the tissues, which negatively affects the tooth enamel when consumed.

Contraindications

We figured out how to cook mussels in shells, now we will find out if everyone can eat them. In principle, everyone can eat this seafood. There are two exceptions: when there is an individual intolerance or allergy, and also if a person suffers from bleeding disorders. If there are no contraindications, it is still worth eating mussels in moderation, especially if you are not used to such food since childhood.

Mussels are a unique cocktail of substances beneficial to human health. This is a delicacy, ideal for those who want to maintain their figure without harm to their health, and for those who wish to regain their lost shape.

Mussels: recipe for cooking

Mussels are edible shellfish. True, they do not eat them completely, but only the muscles with the mantle and entrails. They are rich in protein, iron, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iodine, vitamins, and they also contain enough fat and carbohydrates, so mussel dishes are considered very nutritious.

If you have purchased raw mussel meat, then first you need to rinse it so that there is no sand left, after which the meat should be cooked or fried. Be aware that adding a large number spices or sauce can spoil, or rather, kill the excellent taste of shellfish.

Mussels in shells are cooked in water, in white table wine, or in broth for a few minutes, until the shells of the clams open in a saucepan. Those shells that have not opened should be thrown away. Before you start cooking mussels, the shells should be thoroughly cleaned of algae, and then put in a bowl of cold water and rinsed several times to get rid of any remaining sand. Ready-made mussels should be eaten immediately after cooking.

How to cook frozen mussels?

• In order to properly cook frozen mussels, you need to clearly know in what form they were creolized. If they are cooked-frozen, then they can simply be reheated or boiled in a little water for 5 minutes. If the mussels are raw-frozen, then boil them for up to 7 minutes.
• Defrost them no more than 1 time, because it is a perishable product. Even when choosing mussels, make sure that no liquid leaks are visible in the package.
• Let the frozen unpeeled shellfish defrost in the air, then place under a cold stream of water and rinse well. Next, subject to heat treatment - boil for 2 minutes in a large amount of water. Dip the boiled mussels in cold water, then bring to a boil again. This method of preparation allows you to preserve all the minerals and vitamins contained in the delicacy, and at the same time get rid of toxic substances. After boiling, the mussels will open themselves, and it will not be difficult to remove the meat from the shells with a knife.
• It's also easy to boil peeled mussels. They need to be poured into a saucepan with cold, salted water and wait until it boils and the surface is covered with foam.
• Do not cook mussel meat for a long time, it becomes tough and loses all its nutrients.

How to cook peeled mussels: a classic recipe

Do you want to cook delicious peeled mussels without spending a lot of time? Easily!

Composition:

• mussels - 400 g
• garlic - 2 cloves
• table wine - 250 ml
• butter - 30 g
• shallots - 2 g
• high fat cream - 50 ml
• parsley - 15 g
• a pinch of curry - 15 g

Preparation:

1. Chop shallots, garlic and parsley finely. Transfer this mixture to a preheated skillet. After a while, add the washed peeled mussels. Pour in the wine slowly, stirring all the time. Then cover the pan with a lid and simmer for a few more minutes.
2. Wait for the mussels to open and transfer them to a saucepan. Remove those that have not been revealed. Pour cream over the dish. Add some curry, pepper, salt and butter. Stir well and let cook for another 5 minutes. Pour the prepared dish with the resulting sauce and serve.

How to cook frozen mussels in Korean

Mussels in Korean is an unusual recipe, not at all difficult to perform.

Composition:

• mussels - 500 g
• onions - 3 heads
• soy sauce - 50 ml
• honey - 1 tablespoon
• hot red pepper
• nutmeg
• coriander
• black pepper

Preparation

1. Thaw the mussels and rinse them thoroughly under cold water. Boil for five minutes, fold in a colander. Leave to drain.
2. Peel the clams, then the onions. Cut it into half rings, salt, sprinkle with a few drops of lime and leave to marinate. While the onion is cooking, add the nutmeg on the tip of a knife to the soy sauce.
3. The rest of the spices are to taste. Stir lime juice and honey and heat well. Then combine the clams, onions and sauce. Sprinkle everything with red pepper, mix - and refrigerate. Mussels in Korean are eaten only cold.

How to cook peeled frozen mussels?

Defrost the mussels before cooking, preferably in the microwave to speed up the process. But often they are laid out in cooking utensils and frozen.

Shellfish, fried on olive oil with the addition of garlic, onions and celery. In this case, you only need to fry vegetables, and the mussels are stewed with them only after the vegetables become golden brown and sour cream and white wine are added to them.

Mussels stewed in this way can be added to various dishes. For example, you can prepare a salad of squid and asparagus with the addition of mussels, use them as a spicy pizza filling.

You can diversify the family's daily menu by cooking mussels in batter. For this, milk, sugar, flour and egg yolk are mixed. The protein is beaten into a thick foam and added to the dough. Peeled mussels are dipped in batter and fried in a large amount of vegetable oil. Put the finished dish on the shells of the mussels, decorate it with herbs and lemon slices.

Mussel dishes: original recipes

You can prepare many interesting dishes from mussels. But even the most common and familiar with the addition of shellfish will acquire a unique taste.

Pilaf with mussels

Composition:

• mussels - 700 g
• rice - 1 glass
• butter - 40 g
• carrots - 1pc.
• onion - 1pc.
• tomato paste - 1 tsp
• Bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Boil the clams in salted water. Do not pour out the water in which they were cooked, it will come in handy! Dip peeled and grated carrots, peeled and finely chopped onions in the oil.
2. The secret of the dish is that there should be rice in the pan, fry it along with the vegetables. When the onion turns golden, add 2 cups of water, in which the mussels were cooked, to the cast iron, add tomato paste and bay leaves, salt and pepper. The fire should be small.
3. When the rice is almost done, add the mussels. Serve hot, garnished with herbs.

Mussel soup

Composition:

• mussels - 600 g
• fillet of sea bass and haddock - 150 g each
• crab meat - 150 g
• white wine - 500 ml
• bow - 2 heads
• olive oil - 5 tbsp l.
• red and yellow bell peppers - 150 g each
• meat broth - 500 ml
• black pepper
• Bay leaf
• thyme

Preparation

1. Use a brush to wash the mussels. Boil for 4 minutes in a little salt water and drain in a colander. Throw away the unopened shells, take out the meat from the rest, with the exception of 6 pieces.
2. Cut the fish into pieces, the onion into cubes and simmer in olive oil. Chop the bell peppers into strips. Add it to the onion and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour in broth, put peppercorns, bay leaf and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Pour in wine and boil. Add fish and cook for 3 minutes. Arrange the mussel and crab meat, heat and season. Pour the soup into bowls, garnish with clams in shells and thyme.

From the many recipes for making mussels, everyone will certainly find something for themselves. Be sure to try making at least one or more shellfish dishes. This healthy exotic delicacy is sure to become your favorite!

Sooner or later, everyone asks this question. Mussels are molluscs used for food. Dishes with them are very nutritious, primarily due to the high content of protein, fat and carbohydrates in meat. In addition, mussels are a source of protein, iron, phosphorus, as well as a variety of vitamins that strengthen human immunity. In fact, this is a product from which many different dishes can be prepared: dumplings, salads, pilaf. You can also try boiling mussel soup or making peppers. Low allows you to consider it dietary.

The type and taste of a dish, first of all, depends on the method of its preparation. Consider the simplest ways - frying and boiling.

Simple ways cooking. Most often, mussels are fried, as under the influence high temperature the mussel shell opens, after which its meat can be eaten. How to fry mussels and how long is everyone's personal business.

If we are talking about cooking mussels, you should clearly outline the stages of this process. First you need to clean the shells with a coarse-bristled brush, then place the mussels in a saucepan and cover with water. The water should cover them a little, since when the shells open, the mussels will release additional liquid from themselves. After starting to boil, the mussels should be cooked for a few minutes. For taste, as a rule, onions, wine, garlic and so on are added. Drain the water and enjoy the boiled mussels!

How to choose mussels? If you want to benefit exclusively from this food, you should first of all think not about how to cook mussels, but about how to choose them correctly! Prefer whole, tightly sealed sinks. Also note that the shell should not be too light or too heavy (excessive weight indicates the presence of a large amount of sand in the shell, insufficient - that the molluscs are already inanimate). Live mussels can be stored in the refrigerator for another 2-3 days after purchase. In the refrigerator, they are laid out in one layer and covered with a damp cloth. Another aspect to which attention is drawn is the color of the shell. It can be green, blue, black, depending on the type of product.

If the mussels were collected by hand. How to cook mussels that were collected with your own hands? Before answering this question, let us draw your attention to the fact that you need to be sure that the water in the mollusk growing zone is ecologically clean. There should be no places of release of construction projects or shipping in the field of view. The safest places are sand spits, pitfalls, mussel banks. And such mollusks are prepared in the same way as store ones.

How to clean mussels from the sink? Mussel shells are cleaned of algae, silt and sand under cold water using a knife. After removing the threads with which the mollusks were attached to the support, open shells should be discarded, since they can no longer be eaten. If the shell is slightly open, knock on it - if the shell is alive, the flaps will close.

What to cook with mussels? How to cook mussels is clear. But in what dishes can this seafood be used? Among the most popular culinary options are mussels with vegetables and mussel pilaf.

Mussels with vegetables. Boiled mussels are combined with pickled cucumbers and bell pepper... Shredded cabbage, garlic, salt, lemon juice, spices and sauce are also added here. The contents of the cooking container are thoroughly mixed and filled with vegetable oil.

Mussel pilaf. First, the mussels must be boiled. Then, the carrots cut into strips are fried in butter, followed by the addition of finely chopped onions and rice. All this is poured over with two glasses of water (the one in which the shellfish were boiled). The composition is supplemented with tomato paste, salt and spices to taste. Pilaf is cooked over low heat. A few minutes before cooking, mussels are added to the rice.

Good luck with your culinary endeavors!

How to cook frozen and peeled mussels, not everyone knows. Shellfish recipes are easy to find in books and on the Internet, but if you cook them for the first time, you can ruin the treat. Without knowing the nuances, in inept hands, beautiful juicy and aromatic mussels turn into foul-smelling and tough pieces of meat. How to surprise your guests with a healthy seafood dish cooked according to all the rules? "Popular about health" will share interesting recipes for frozen product, so stay tuned.

Product selection

So, you decided to pamper your family with seafood. To get started, heed the advice on choosing frozen shellfish in the store.

1. Buy large mussels. To do this, pay attention to the labeling, which indicates the ratio of the amount of shellfish per kilogram of product. On the package it looks something like this - 42/1 or 54/1. The first number is the number of mussels per kilogram. The smaller it is, the larger the shellfish.

3. A quality product should not be subjected to repeated defrosting. If the clams are a lump of ice, choose a different package.

Defrosting

Since mussels are sold frozen, they must be thawed before cooking. How to do it correctly? The shellfish must melt slowly, so they must not be dipped in warm water to speed up the process. The product is transferred from freezer into the refrigerator and keep there until completely defrosted. Now we will acquaint you with the rules for cooking mussels, the observance of which will help to get in the end soft, juicy and tasty shellfish meat.

How to cook peeled mussels at home?

Cooking tips

Please note - peeled frozen mussels are those that have been removed from shells, but their meat may have "barbs". This part of the molluscs serves for attachment to the shell, it is inedible. Make sure the barbs are removed before preparing seafood dishes. The shellfish must be thoroughly rinsed by placing in a colander and turning on a strong pressure of water. This measure will get rid of the grains of sand that sometimes remain in the meat. The most important thing to know about cooking mussels is that the longer they are boiled, the more tough they become. Like squid, these creatures are composed of protein, which becomes tough with prolonged boiling or stewing. To maintain softness and juiciness, it is recommended to cook the mussels for no more than 3 minutes. To eliminate the unpleasant smell of shellfish, treat them with lemon juice before cooking. Having got acquainted with this product, for sure, you will want to know the recipes for its preparation.

Homemade mussel recipes

Mussels are prepared in different ways - they are fried, boiled, stewed, baked, pickled. We will share with you recipes that do not differ in complex technology, but the ready-made dishes will undoubtedly appeal to you.

Prepare peeled fried mussels with onions and spices

Prepare a set of products - 800 grams of frozen peeled shellfish, a large onion, 3 cloves of garlic, ground red pepper (pinch), ground black pepper, salt, 60 grams of butter.

Defrost seafood, wash, dry, mix with lemon juice. After 5 minutes, dry the meat again with a napkin. Cut the onion into rings, preferably thinly. We heat the oil in a frying pan, send the onions there for frying. As soon as the rings change color to golden, add the mussels. Fry them, stirring occasionally, over high heat for 5 minutes. At the end, add garlic, passed through a press, spices, salt. You can serve such a nutritious and tasty dish with any vegetables or just like that.

Pickled mussels at home

Want to surprise your guests with pickled seafood? It couldn't be easier. And don't waste a lot of time! Prepare 400 grams of clams (peeled), 3 tablespoons each soy sauce and vegetable oil, a spoonful of vinegar. From the spices, take garlic (3-4 cloves), a spoonful of a mixture of peppers, 3 laurel leaves, half a teaspoon of salt, a spoonful of sugar and a few sprigs of fresh fragrant parsley.

After thawing and rinsing seafood, place them in boiling water for a minute, discard in a colander. Let's prepare the marinade. Put everything on the list in a small enamel pot, except for vinegar. Cut the garlic into slices. Pour 150 ml of water into a saucepan, bring to a boil. Let the marinade cool. When it gets warm, add the vinegar and mix. Pour the fragrant liquid on the clams and leave in the refrigerator for an hour. Chop the parsley and add to the marinade before serving.

Baked mussels in cheese sauce

Seafood goes well with cheese. Let's cook them in the oven in a fragrant creamy cheese filling. You will need 500 grams of mussels, an onion, 2 processed cheese, a glass of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of flour, the yolk of one egg, 100 grams of hard cheese, 2 garlic cloves, a mixture of peppers, salt.

Boil the clams for 1 minute and drain. Mash melted cheese in a bowl, pour cream, stir, add yolk, spices, salt, flour. Beat the mixture thoroughly with a whisk or blender. Chop the onion into rings, crush the garlic. Put seafood in a dish on baking paper, greased with butter, onion on top, pour everything with sauce, add garlic, on top of three hard cheese, bake the dish until blush at a temperature of 200 degrees.

Now you know the recipes for how to cook mussels at home. How exactly you will do this - choose according to your taste. Guests and family members alike will appreciate your culinary talent with our selection.

The sea has been feeding people for thousands of years. It is a repository of food stocks, which is famous for its nutritional value - rare trace elements, vitamins, amino acids, high-quality protein. In addition to fish, octopuses, crabs, squid, scallops and a lot of healthy seafood that are suitable for food, including mussels, live in the seas and oceans. Which have tender soft meat with a sweetish aftertaste. When boiled, it gives off a pleasant aroma. Pilaf, soups, salads, stews are prepared from mussel meat. It is salted, pickled, smoked, baked, fried. Mussels are served with pasta, cereals, potatoes, vegetables. It should be remembered that it is advisable to use cooked mollusks immediately, do not store them for more than twelve hours, otherwise poisoning is possible.

Mussels - food preparation

Shellfish require some preparation before eating. If you do not want to chew the sand, frozen mussels while eating, after defrosting, you must rinse very thoroughly.

If you are going to cook mussels in shells, more preparation is required. First of all, it is necessary to visually inspect them and remove mollusks with damaged shells, they are not eaten. To open the doors, the mussels must be placed in a hot pan or dipped in boiling water for two minutes. Then the meat is removed from the shell, the outgrowth is pulled out (a bunch of algae with which the mollusks are attached to the stones), and thoroughly washed from sand and stones.

Mussels - best recipes

Recipe 1: Pickled mussels

One of the most delicious dishes, which can be made from mussels - just pickle them. They turn out to be very tasty and cheaper than the store ones. They can be added to a salad, and put on a piece of toast, and just eat. We offer two cooking options. In the first case, the marinade is indicated without the addition of vinegar - with spices, white wine and lemon, in the second - with vinegar. And so and so delicious.

Ingredients (option 1): 0.5 kg of mussels, vegetable oil - 2-3 tablespoons. lie.,? lemon (juice), 150ml dry wine (white), 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp. lies. honey and ready-made mustard, salt, pepper, 1 lavrushka, a few sprigs of fresh dill and cilantro.

Cooking method

If using frozen mussels, defrost.
Prepare a spice sauce in which the mussels will be boiled. To do this, boil the wine, put garlic in it (you do not need to chop it), bay leaf, pepper, lower the mussels and boil for about four minutes (the time is counted from the moment of boiling). Throw in a colander.
Make a marinade. Finely chop the herbs, add lemon juice, oil, pepper, mustard, salt. You can take any mustard, for example, French or spicy.
Transfer the still warm mussels, along with a leaf of lavrushka and a clove of garlic, to the marinade and let it brew in the refrigerator for about five hours. It is more convenient to marinate in glass jar or a deep bowl. By the way, you can also pickle shrimp in the same way.

Ingredients (option 2): 0.5kg of mussels, an incomplete glass of water, 1 table. tables of vinegar (9%), 1.5-2 table. lies. sugar, salt to taste.

Cooking method:

Defrost the shellfish. Salt water, boil and boil mussels in it for three to four minutes.
Make a marinade. It should taste sweet and sour. Dissolve salt, sugar in boiled water, pour in vinegar. Place the mussels in the hot marinade. They will be ready to eat in an hour. You can arrange them in jars, where you add a little vegetable oil.

Recipe 2: Baked mussels

Baked mussels are not only delicious, but also beautiful to look at, especially when baked and served directly in the shells. This dish is also suitable for festive table and for a romantic evening. We offer two cooking options: in the first version, seafood is baked in shells under a cheese crust, in the second - in the usual form with sauce.

Ingredients (option 1): 0.5kg of mussels in shells, 2 tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, 50g of butter, spices, 150g of hard cheese.

Cooking method

Rinse the mussels well, peel the shutters and boil for ten to fifteen minutes. You can add bay leaves, optional spices, salt to the water. During cooking, all flaps should open. Those that have remained closed should not be eaten. Divide the cooled shellfish into halves and carefully separate the meat, which should be put back in the shells.

Chop the garlic with tomatoes in a grater or blender. Put a piece of butter, a spoonful of tomato mixture in each half of the meat, rub the cheese on top and bake for 20 minutes (180C).

Ingredients (option 2): 0.5kg mussels, peppercorns, hard cheese - 100g. Sauce: soft processed cheese - 100-150g, 200ml cream, 25g butter, 1 yolk, 1 table. tablespoons of flour, 3 cloves of garlic.

Cooking method

Defrost the mussels, boil for three minutes in salted water, adding peppercorns (5-6 pcs.).

Prepare the sauce. Chop the garlic and add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce. Stir with a whisk or blender so that there are no lumps.

Put the mussels in a frying pan or dish, pour over the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes (200C).

Recipe 3: fried mussels

Fried mussels are easy to prepare, but gorgeous in taste. Will go for frying and vegetable oil, and ghee. Nutritionists recommend butter, which contains at least 25% vegetable fat. But it must be melted first. Otherwise, harmful carcinogens may form in the pan when burning.

Ingredients: 0.5kg of mussels, vegetable oil, 2 onions, salt, hot ground pepper, seafood seasoning (or Provencal herbs).

Cooking method

Chop the onion into cubes, fry until golden. Add mussels and fry with constant stirring for five to seven minutes over medium heat. Season with salt, pepper and season and remove from heat. Let it brew a little under the lid. Can be served with rice, potatoes or as a separate dish.

- You should eat shellfish caught between June and February, because in spring they are not so tasty and fatty.

- Mussels should not be cooked for a long time, otherwise they will be dry and tasteless. The rule of cooking squid is applied to them - no more than three to five minutes.

- Fresh mussels should not have an unpleasant odor and be tightly closed, which cannot be opened by hand.