How to cook mussels correctly. How to cook dietary mussels in shells: the best recipes

Today, mussels are a kind of culinary delicacy. Transporting them from Europe is very expensive. Therefore, it was decided to grow mussels in Russia, namely in the Black Sea.

Without sea water The mussel lives no more than 72 hours. Subsequently, dehydration will lead to the loss of valuable qualities of the protein content. It must arrive at the restaurant viable for the preparation of a magnificent, incredibly tasty and healthy delicacy.

At the bottom of the Black Sea there are also pests of mussel cultivation - this is a small but very voracious rotan fish. It sneaks unnoticed into the web created by the diver-farmers and literally swallows the entire contents of the shell. As a rule, rotan hunts in flocks. Therefore, the raid of these predatory fish always causes huge damage in the development of a mussel farm.

In Russia, the industry for the production of these mollusks is well developed. Restaurants apply for required amount mussels per month. Based on this, the farm develops a plan for working and growing these mollusks. And to receive best result, V laboratory conditions create phytoplankton and other plants. It is these substances that the mussel feeds on.

The method of growing this delicacy in Russia was called quite simply - a farm. The result of her work is tens of thousands of tons of mussels. Black Sea mussels are farmed by special workers called diver farmers who work in all weathers.

They stretch dense ropes at the bottom of the sea in the form of a web, securing it with counterweights. Mussels in the Black Sea cling to a thread and are in this position very for a long time. When heat exchange is low, mussels tend to hibernate.

This is explained by a decrease in their body temperature below the required limit and the inability to move under these conditions, since all mollusks living on seabed- cold-blooded.

Black Sea mussels have strong immunity and never get sick. Moreover, they themselves are able to strengthen the human immune system and ensure proper blood circulation. This is one of the benefits of growing and using them in cooking.

The mussels are subsequently torn from the rope, “like sea buckthorn,” and collected in a large net. This net is lifted onto a special fishing boat or boat. This vessel has a pit installed where all the collected mussels are placed. They are subject to cleaning and rinsing.

Water is released into the pit under high pressure, and the pit begins to spin, stirring the mussels so that each mussel is cleared of silt. Ready mussels are placed in a special container equipped with all necessary conditions for transportation, and delivered to the destination.

From time immemorial, the sea has helped man in difficult times. During wars and famine, in Anapa it was always possible to get food in the form of anchovy, gobies and other fish. Today, when there are no problems with food, we take its delicacies from the sea - oysters and mussels. The Black Sea mussel is becoming one of the favorite and healthy products a local resident, and restaurants all over the country want to see only fresh shells from . Today's story is about the most valuable mollusk of the sea - mussels.

Appearance

The mussel is a bivalve mollusk, its home is two identical shell doors that develop and grow along with its inhabitant. The mussel shell has an oblong shape, turning into something like a triangle towards the end. The outer surface of a young shell is smooth, but as it matures, growths appear on the valves. The interior is polished to a high shine and remains clean and pearlescent throughout its life.
The color of the shell varies and depends on external conditions and residence, but the main colors are brown, dark blue or purple. The mollusk itself is hidden inside the house; muscular closures, which are responsible for the timely closing and opening of the shell doors, are clearly visible among its insides. The usual size of mussel valves that are mined in Anapa is 5-7 centimeters. Sometimes you come across houses up to 10 centimeters or more. Inside, the mollusk develops to a size of 2-3 centimeters. The lifespan of mussels is about eight years.

Habits

Mussels can move along the bottom, but prefer to exist in groups and peculiar colonies. To live, mussels find large protruding underwater rocks and can form homes on stilts, piers and other irregularities. Favorite depths for mussels are 5-40 meters. Shells have a special gland that creates a thin but strong thread that firmly connects the owner and the place of permanent residence.
Mussels are ready to begin reproduction in centimeter form, 1 or 2 years after birth. In shells, there is a clear division into male and female individuals. It is very difficult to determine the sex of a mollusk by appearance.
Spawning begins in mid-summer. Fertilization of the larvae occurs directly in the water column, where the mussels sweep out their reproductive products. Once conceived, mussels exist as plankton, then settle to the bottom and mature.
Mussels are natural filters that pass hundreds of liters of water through them to obtain nutrients. The smallest plankton settles on the gills and then enters the mollusk’s esophagus. Thanks to the muscular legs, the mollusk opens the valves slightly to allow water to enter and further process and purify the liquid.

Thanks to their filtration abilities, mussels are the full-fledged lungs of the Black Sea. Each mollusk passes more than 70 liters of water per day, cleaning it from bacteria and pests. It has been noticed that in the accumulation of mussel colonies there is always clean and clear water. Due to this feature, it is not recommended to eat the shell raw, especially if it is caught in contaminated water. Despite this, gourmets from southern European countries believe that eating mussels raw is much healthier.

Thanks to a detailed study of the lifestyle of mussels, production for the growth of valuable mollusks has been established in Anapa. It turned out that growing shells is more profitable than constantly mining. The most significant mussel farm is located in the Utrish area, where mussels breed on long collectors extending into the water column. Thanks to their excellent food supply, mussels produce large offspring. Fresh mussels are immediately sent to shops and restaurant kitchens in Anapa. Basic nutritional value shellfish is a protein. This valuable protein better than meat is absorbed by the body.

Out of water, a mussel can remain alive for more than two days. The mussel gained this ability due to the fact that inside the shell the mollusk retains nutrients and water necessary for life.

The main enemy of the beloved midi in Anapa is the predatory mollusk rapana, which in the last decade has significantly reduced the number of bivalve shells. Rapana brazenly drills the valves with its tongue and sucks out the mussel through the resulting passage.

Where to catch mussels in Anapa

It is no longer possible to return to the days when large mussels colonized the piles of the Anapa pier on the central beach. Mussels could be caught on pebbles at a depth of three to four meters. Today, large colonies of mussels go deep into the sea, fearing their enemy rapana. To independently harvest mussels in Anapa, you will need professional diving equipment. At a depth of over 15 meters you can find a mollusk.

We recommend going to a mussel farm in the village of Utrish, where you can buy your favorite shellfish for lunch. They also offer a choice of fresh mussel dishes. Let us remind you that there are several fish restaurants at the resort.

About the benefits seafood products everyone knows. Among them are their own valuable qualities Black Sea mussels stand out. Delicious seafood is no longer a luxury. This is a low-calorie and high-protein food for everyone who cares about their health and body. Mussels are easily digestible, but at the same time they are very nutritious, and are full of all the important human body substances.

Peculiarities

The main habitat of shellfish is the seabed, but the high demand for mussels by restaurateurs and consumers has led to the creation of special farms where seafood is grown artificially.

Black Sea mussel – bivalve with a smooth, oblong-oval shell. Mollusks live in colonies, located in the coastal zone, and attaching to stones with special protein threads - byssus. The food of mussels is plankton.

On average, the lifespan of Black Sea mussels is about 6 years. Their northern “relatives” are able to live twice as long, and Pacific mollusks have a life span of thirty years. Pearls are found extremely rarely in Black Sea mussels.

Scope of application

The Black Sea mussel is useful not only for cleaning sea waters, but also as a protein food product. Mussels are prepared in all sorts of ways: boiled, fried, baked, smoked and combined with other products.

The popularity of this seafood goes far beyond the Black Sea coast. All over the world, people enjoy eating mussels, enriching their diet with all the necessary substances.

Black Sea mussels go perfectly with potatoes, pasta, and vegetables. They are added to salads and first courses, sauces, stews and cereals.

Selection and preparation

Shellfish for food must be selected carefully so that the shells are intact and tightly closed. Fresh mussel opens when processed high temperature, and if this does not happen, the shell must be thrown away.

Before washing the shells, you need to soak them in chilled water for 2 hours. Then it will be much easier to clean them from sand. Thus, it is possible to identify dead mollusks - unlike living specimens, they will not settle to the bottom, but will remain on the surface. The fleshy contents of the mollusk shell are suitable for food - light, tender, sweetish in taste, with a pleasant aroma.

To improve the taste of mussels when boiling and stewing, you can add a little wine, lemon juice, add tomatoes, milk, garlic, sauce or celery. When choosing certain ingredients, you need to proceed from the selected recipe.

If you plan to serve seafood in the shell, you should remove top part. Remove the clam from the lower valve with a fork. Sometimes in restaurants, when ordering mussels in shells, special tongs are used as utensils. They grab the removed upper half of the shell and use it to extract the fleshy flesh of the mollusk from the lower valve.

It is important not to forget that mussels must be consumed immediately after preparation. Storing in the refrigerator and then reheating can lead to severe intoxication.

How are they useful?

Mussels – natural protein product, which will be a strong competitor to beef and many types of fish. After all, shellfish have the most healthy and rich composition. Mussel meat contains large quantities of Omega-3, a vitamin and mineral set, in particular, vitamins B, C, and folates. It is saturated with phosphorus, manganese, zinc, and iron.

Even a small portion of mussels will relieve the body of fatigue, speed up metabolic processes and restore strength and lost energy. And all this thanks to vitamin B12. And the presence of selenium in the mollusk will ensure excellent immune function and thyroid gland. Manganese in mussels is a “savior” of bone tissue and a “generator” of energy. Among other things, eating mussels is recommended for certain blood diseases.

Understanding dietary properties mussels from the depths of the Black Sea, scientists have determined that shellfish meat is comparable to red meat in terms of protein content. This is despite the fact that seafood is less fatty and does not threaten to increase cholesterol levels.

Mussels contain about 75% of the calories compared to beef; they contain three times more natural protein, which is necessary for the functioning of the cardiac system. Cardiologists call Omega-3, which mussel meat is rich in, the most powerful natural cardioprotectors. If you make a habit of regularly consuming this seafood, you increase your chance of avoiding heart disease and preventing arrhythmia in the future.

Scientists are confident that only 100 g of mussels will be delivered to the body every day perfect selection the most important vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. The slenderness of the forms is a pleasant accompanying “bonus”, since the product is made from depths of the sea does not contribute to the deposition of fat in the body.

Contraindications and harm

But, even taking into account the rich composition of Black Sea mollusks, There are a number of contraindications to their use:

personal intolerance to seafood;
problematic blood clotting.

It is impossible not to take into account the filtration of sea water by mussels, that is, harmful substances gradually accumulate in the mollusks. Therefore, you need to buy live mussels, the freshness of which is obvious.

Frozen seafood can also be eaten, but only those produced by trusted manufacturers.

It is mandatory to indicate on the packaging all the necessary information about the supplier and the terms of packaging, storage and sale.

Recipes for the fastest and most delicious dishes

Let's look at several proven recipes that will turn shellfish into a real delicacy.

Roast mussels

Ingredients:

400 g peeled mussels;
carrot;
bulb;
1/2 tsp. salt;
2 cloves of garlic;
a little leek;
2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.

Clean the surfaces of the sinks from dirt and wash the sashes. Next, lower them into boiling water for 7 minutes. When the shell is completely open, you can remove the meat.

Please note that frozen shells will take about 10 minutes to open.

Then add the sliced onion to the frying pan and fry, adding grated carrots. Finely chop the shellfish meat and place it in the fryer along with chopped leeks. During the frying process, constantly stir the products. At the end of cooking, squeeze the garlic through a press.

Soup "Black Sea"

Ingredients:

100 g fresh meat Black Sea mollusks;
2-3 onions;
20 g parsley (root);
20 g butter;
whole grain noodles;
salt;
seasonings

Prepare shellfish meat: chop, fry in oil with chopped onion and parsley. At the same time, bring the water to boil to prepare the noodles. As soon as the liquid boils, salt it and put the noodles in there for a few minutes. When the noodles are half cooked, add fried mussels and onions to the water and cook until the products are completely cooked.

Pilaf of mussels and vegetables

Ingredients:

1/2 cup short grain rice;
2 kg of mussels in shells;
3 sweet peppers;
2 fleshy tomatoes;
green onion feathers;
spices;
lemon;
butter;

Cook the washed rice in lightly salted water. Ready-made cereal rinse and strain the liquid in a colander. Clean the shells and wash well. Heat butter in a frying pan. Finely chop the onion feathers and fry. Place three sliced peppers in a frying pan and fry, stirring, until the peppers soften. Add chopped tomatoes, fry, add salt to taste and season with pepper.

Heat the mussels in another frying pan, covering the dish with a lid. The foam that appears during the processing of shells must be drained. When the mussels open, water them sour juice citrus and remove from the shells, clearing away any debris. Then the mussels need to be mixed with vegetables and simmered for a short time, until soft. At the end, combine all the ingredients with rice, let it stand and absorb the juices and odors.

Mussels with tomatoes baked in shells

Ingredients:

1 kg of shellfish;
300 g tomatoes;
40 g of stale bread;
20 ml olive oil;
2 cloves of garlic;
parsley;
carnation;
spices;
500 ml water.

Pour 500 g of water into the pan and lower the prepared shells into it. If there are dead shellfish, these shells will remain fluttering on the surface. Turn on a large flame under the pan. Wait for the shells to open. Remove them from the water and cool slightly, remove the top flaps. Crush the garlic with a press. Scald the tomatoes with boiling water, remove the skins, grind the pulp, combine tomato paste with garlic.

Grind the spices in a mortar. Grate the bread, combine with tomato puree along with crushed spices. Add olive oil, mix. Place the mussels in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet, shells down. Place tomato mixture in each half. Bake at 180 degrees until cooked (about 10 minutes).

You will learn how to cook mussels with wine and tomatoes in the following video.

One of the most delicious delicacies is mussels. They are various types, very healthy, rich in natural microelements and minerals, but very low in calories. You can cook a lot of mussels variety of dishes: they are baked, boiled, stewed, fried, marinated, added to pilaf, spaghetti. Below you will learn how to cook mussels deliciously, correctly, in shells and without them.

How to cook delicious mussels

It is known that seafood, including mussels, are... There are many ways to easily prepare mussels for dinner. Here are a few recipes that will make your partner go crazy, and you yourself will not remain indifferent. You can also cook fresh mussels, or ice cream.

Mussels in creamy sauce

What you will need:

a pair of garlic cloves;
3-4 spoons of heavy cream;
greens, parsley, dill, ;
400 g frozen mussels;
a couple of spoons of olive oil.

How to cook:

Pour oil into a saucepan, put on high heat, add undefrosted peeled mussels.
Finely chop the herbs and garlic and add to the saucepan.
Stirring gently, cook for a couple of minutes, then pour in the cream.
Reduce heat to low and simmer seafood in sauce for 5-10 minutes.
If desired, you can add salt and grated cheese.

Seafood in batter

Ingredients:

3 spoons of flour;
400 g of frozen mussels, or a kilogram with shells;
100 ml white;
egg;
230 ml vegetable oil;
half a lemon;
half a spoon of salt;
ground black pepper.

How to cook:

Defrost frozen seafood at room temperature, dry with a napkin.
Place the defrosted food on a plate and sprinkle flour on all sides.
Beat a chicken egg, pour in alcohol, salt and pepper.
Add flour and knead into a thin batter.
Dip the seafood into the dough and place it on a hot, greased surface.
Fry for 4-8 minutes, stirring gently.
Place on a napkin; when excess fat is absorbed, transfer to a plate.

Marinated mussels

Components:

glass of water;
350 g mussels;
half a spoon of vinegar;
1.5 spoons of granulated sugar;
lavrushka;
sunflower oil;
peas;
half a spoon of salt.

How to cook:

Thaw seafood. Bring the water to a boil.
Pour boiling water over the mussels for 12 minutes, then drain the liquid.
Marinade - boil a glass of water, adding salt, bay leaf, 3 peppercorns, granulated sugar. After removing from the stove, add vinegar.
Place the shellfish in a container, pour in the marinade, and pour oil on top. Close the container until the mussels have cooled completely.

Pasta with mussels

What you will need:

300 g fresh tomatoes;
3 spoons of olive oil;
salt, ground pepper;
350 g mussels;
350 g short;
a couple of cloves of garlic;
fresh greens.

How to cook:

Boil the mussels.
Boil pasta in salted water until fully cooked.
Pour oil into a saucepan, heat and add chopped herbs and garlic. Fry for 4 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and simmer for 7 minutes.
Then add the mussels and mix thoroughly.
Place on a plate ready-made pasta, place mussels in sauce on top.

How to cook mussels in shells

Shellfish can be cooked not only in their peeled form, but also in their shells. However, when purchasing, you should pay attention to appearance, aroma. It is necessary that the mussels smell only of the sea, and that there are no streaks or cracks on the frozen products. If there are cracked shells in the package, they should be thrown away without regret.

Boiled mussels are easy to prepare. Rinse the shells, place in cold water and put on fire, bringing to a boil. Then drain the liquid and boil the shells again in cold water about 12 minutes. If desired, you can sprinkle with spices and fresh herbs.

Baked mussels

fresh seafood in shells 500 g;
a small piece of hard;
a pair of garlic cloves;
fresh herbs;
a spoonful of butter and olive oil;
3 spoons of water;
ground black pepper.

How to cook:

Rinse the mussels thoroughly with a brush, discard any cracked or open ones.
Place the mussels in a saucepan, add water, cover with a lid and boil for about 5 minutes.
Drain the liquid and set aside the opened shells. Remove one half of the shell, leaving the meat on the other.
Place the clams in the pan. Melt separately and cool.
Add grated cheese, herbs, pepper, garlic, olive oil into the oil. If desired, you can add a little lemon juice.
Place a little cheese mixture on each shell, pressing down lightly.
Preheat the oven and remove the pan in it for literally 3-5 minutes.

Mussels stewed in cream

Ingredients:

75 ml semi-dry white wine;
garlic clove;
small onion;
200 g frozen mussels per shell;
100 ml heavy cream;
solid .

How to cook:

Defrost the sinks and rinse them.
Heat a greased frying pan.
Finely chop the garlic and onion, place in a frying pan, cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.
Place the mussels with the shells up, pour in the wine and simmer for a couple of minutes.
Grate the cheese and pour into a saucepan. Pour in the cream, simmer until thick.
Serve with sauce.

How to cook mussels

Boiling shellfish is quite simple; the most important thing is not to overcook them in water, otherwise they will become rubbery and inedible. Mussels with shells should first be thoroughly washed and brushed. Boil them in cold water twice. The first time, bringing it to a boil, and the second time, boiling them for 5-7 minutes after boiling.

Peeled frozen mussels do not need to be boiled, because they are boiled before freezing. They can be thawed and “finished” using a water bath.

If the recipe says “boil”, then you can cook them for no more than 10 minutes. Lightly salt the water and add fresh herbs and various spices. Boiled shellfish can be consumed this way, or added to salads, rice, pasta, spaghetti, even in...

You can also first boil the broth with herbs, spices, carrots, and after boiling, add the peeled mussels and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Mussels- This is one of the most common types of sea or river mollusks. Currently exists a large number of special farms where mussels are grown for further sale.

The appearance of mussels is distinguished by a dark oval-shaped shell (see photo). The color of the shell may vary depending on where it lives. Most often, the mussel shell is purple, brown or greenish.

Gourmets around the world love to eat mussels, which vaguely resemble oysters, but the taste of these two shellfish differs significantly. In addition, oysters have a muscle that holds the valves together, while mussels do not have such muscles, which makes opening the shell much easier. Therefore, the cost of mussels is much lower than the cost of oysters.

Types of mussels

At the moment, there are a large number of different types of mussels, some of which are very difficult to distinguish from each other without opening the shell. But in general, there are three main types of mussels:

Black Sea,
edible,
Gray's mussel.

These types of mussels differ in their habitat, shape and color. So, black sea mussel lives or is grown in the Black Sea. Edible mussel comes from the Atlantic Ocean, and Gray's mussel comes from Japan. These mussels live at a depth of five meters, the maximum depth is twenty meters.

In order to cook mussels correctly and tasty, you first need to choose them correctly so as not to buy spoiled goods. To do this, we decided to give you a list of recommendations, using which you can choose the right mussels and then prepare a tasty and healthy dish.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the integrity of the mussel shell. It must not be damaged, scratched or cracked. Also, the sink should be closed, since open mussels cannot be stored for a long time.
If you don't hear a loud click when you open the shell, it means the mussel is probably not fresh.
If you want to buy frozen mussels, make sure that they do not stick together in the bag or box.
The color of the clam inside the shell should be white, cream or pink. If you see mussel meat of any other color, this means that the product is stale.
The mussels you buy should smell only of the sea or iodine, but not of other foreign odors.
Be suspicious of mussels that are too heavy. It is possible that there may be sand inside the sink.

There are several varieties of mussels that can be seen at the market: frozen, canned and fresh. Be very careful when purchasing so as not to spoil the impression of the dish.

How to cook and eat mussels?

There are several ways to cook mussels. First of all, it is necessary to clarify that Mussels should be cooked no later than 36 hours after purchase, otherwise they may spoil. Before cooking, you should always open the mussels, remove the shellfish and rinse it thoroughly in water to remove any dirt and sand that may be contained there.

Next, the mussels should be boiled in a large saucepan. In order to diversify the taste of ready-made mussels, you can add herbs, spices and salt to boiling water. Add everything to your liking, but don't overdo it. Cook the mussels for at least seven minutes if they are fresh, and for at least ten minutes if they are frozen.

You can also cook mussels in the sink, but to do this you will need to rinse them thoroughly, then put them in boiling water and boil for about ten minutes. After this, you will need to drain the water, boil new water, add spices, and put the mussels in there again. They will be ready when their shells open on their own.

There are a large number of recipes for dishes with mussels. You can make paella, salad, soup, puree, sauce with them, you can stew them, fry them or marinate them. In any case, you need to eat mussels with wine, which will perfectly complement them amazing taste. In our article you can see a photo ready-made dish to make sure the mussels look delicious!

Benefits and harms

The benefits of mussels are undeniable, since, thanks to their unique composition, damaged sectors can be restored nervous system and provide the body with the necessary energy. Thanks to high content vitamins and microelements in mussels, they have a beneficial effect on immune system humans, help in treating colds or viral diseases, have a positive effect on blood vessels and the process of hematopoiesis in general.

Also mussels have long been are a powerful aphrodisiac. Regular use mussels increases sexual desire and also increases stress resistance. Mussels can also act as dietary product, since their calorie content is quite low.

Mussels can only cause harm if this product is overused. Mussels are beneficial only if you eat them wisely.

Composition of mussels

The energy composition of mussels explains their usefulness to us. These shellfish contain a large amount of vitamins, such as A, E, C, D and the B group of vitamins. In addition to them, mussels contain various microelements: zinc, iron, iodine, potassium and calcium, and many others. Thanks to such a rich composition, mussels can undoubtedly benefit the human body.