Let's learn how to choose quality mussels and cook them. Learning to cook seafood: methods of cooking mussels and rules for choosing them

Surely each of us at least once in our lives wanted to cook mussels - for a holiday or just because. After all, this product contains microelements and biologically active substances. Therefore, a dish with such a component will not only be tasty, but will also improve your immunity. Mussels contain twice as much protein as eggs, moreover, they are rich in iron, phosphorus and healthy acids.

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Photo gallery: How to choose and cook mussels?

Surely, if you have tried mussels, you know what they have unusual taste, but it depends on where the mussels lived. Of course, for cooking it is best to choose products that were grown in a clean, ecological environment.

How to choose mussels

It is best to stick to shellfish with tightly closed, intact shells. Those that are damaged and open are not suitable for cooking. If the mussels are too heavy, it is quite possible that they are filled with sand, and if they are too light, then the mollusk that was inside has probably died a long time ago - such mussels are not worth buying. Once you purchase the product, take care to properly store your live mussels. Place them in one layer, cover with a damp towel and place in the refrigerator. Live seafood cannot be stored for more than three days. There are frozen shellfish in supermarkets and stores. They should be served with white and always dry wine. There is an opinion that from July to October mussels are the most delicious, and they also have very few calories, so dishes with these products are suitable even for those ladies who try to keep themselves in shape.

How to cook mussels?

If you are planning to go on vacation to the sea, where shellfish live, then you will have the opportunity to cook them over a fire.

Mussels on the fire

It's easy to prepare them. To do this you will need a metal sheet, salt, lemon, mussels, white wine, and of course, a fire. You need to place a sheet over the fire and place the mussels on it. If the shellfish have just been caught, then the algae should be removed from them, but the shells should be left. On a hot sheet, the mussels will begin to hiss and open on their own. Now you can salt them. You need to wait a few minutes, reschedule finished product onto plates and sprinkle each piece with lemon. You see, cooking mussels over a fire is quite easy. You can also cook shellfish at home, in your yard, but the smell and sound of the sea give the dish a special aroma and unique romance.

Boiled mussels on fire

You can not only fry mussels over a fire, but also boil them. You need to take rice (as much as you want), lemon, herbs and salt. First, boil the rice in a saucepan and rinse it - this will be your side dish. Now you need to salt the water in the pan, bring it to a boil, place the mussels there and cook for 10-15 minutes. Then drain the water, place the mussels on plates, sprinkle with lemon and, if desired, garnish with lemon slices, parsley and dill. You have rice as a side dish. The dish is ready!

Vinaigrette with mussels

As mentioned earlier, mussels are low-calorie. That's why excellent option For girls who watch their figure, there will be a dish like mussels with vegetables. In addition, you can prepare a vinaigrette with mussels and mushrooms.

You will need: 200 grams of boiled shellfish, a glass of salted mushrooms, 1 onion, 1 beet and 1 carrot, 2 potatoes, 3 tablespoons of green onions, 20 mLuxus will need to be mixed in 0.5 cups of vegetable oil.

You need to boil the mussels and boil the carrots, potatoes and beets separately. Place the shellfish in a salad bowl, peel the vegetables, chop finely and add the cmidia. Chop the onions and mushrooms there. Mix the ingredients, season with oil and vinegar and sprinkle green onions on top.

Moreover, this recipe goes great with beer. In addition, preparing such a salad is simple and quick, and it turns out very tasty.

Salad with mussels and Tabasco sauce

You will need 40 grams bell pepper, 20 grams of lemon juice, as many cucumbers, 200 grams of mussels and 25 grams of vegetable oil. In addition, you will need Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper and garlic.

The shellfish should be boiled in salted water and placed in a salad bowl. Cut the cucumbers and bell peppers into strips and also add them to the mussels. Mix everything and season vegetable oil. Now is the time to add pepper, salt, garlic, and lemon juice. Garnish the salad with slices of bell pepper and herbs. This recipe is good for friendly gatherings.

Probably every housewife, when she is going to cook mussels, wants the dish to be spicy and not boring. This recipe is just that.

Take rice, seaweed (1 leaf), onion (1 piece), carrot (1 piece), garlic (2.3 cloves), mussels (500 g), rice vinegar, pickled ginger, coriander seeds and soy sauce.

Shellfish need to be defrosted under running water. hot water and place on a plate. A sheet of noria seaweed should be cut into strips (2 cm wide), and then into squares (0.5 cm), put in a plate with cmidia and pour rice vinegar and ordinary soy sauce. Now pepper it all, add salt and leave it to marinate. Let's move on to cooking rice.

Rinse thoroughly under a thin stream of cold water, and then cook for 15 minutes. During the cooking process, you need to throw 5 bay leaves into the rice, but pull them out before the rice is cooked. When the rice is ready, drain the water and leave it to drain.

Pokaris is boiling, you should finely chop the onion, grate the carrots, mix the vegetables with coriander seeds and fry in oil until golden brown. Now add pickled seaweed and mussels and let them simmer. After five minutes, cut a 1 cm piece of pickled ginger and add it to the rest of the ingredients to simmer. When you notice that there is just enough liquid for gravy, remove the dish from the heat. Place rice on plates stewed mussels with vegetables, sprinkle everything with rice vinegar and soy sauce. This dish is also perfect as a snack.

Recipe for pilaf with mussels

When you decide what to cook with mussels, it is worth remembering that they produce not only good sandwiches, snacks and salads, but also delicious pilaf. You will be able to please both your guests and your family with such exquisite taste.

For this dish, purchase: 1 glass of rice, 700 grams of mussels, 1 carrot, 1 onion, Bay leaf, 40 grams of butter, a teaspoon of tomato paste, salt and pepper.

The clams need to be boiled in salted water; after cooking, do not throw away the water, you will need it. Prepare a frying pan, melt the butter and add the chopped onions and carrots. The whole point of the recipe is that rice is fried in a pan along with vegetables. When you achieve a golden color on the onion, you need to add 2 cups of water (in which the mussels were cooked) to the frying pan, add salt and pepper to taste, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Then make sure the fire is slow. When the rice is ready, add the mussels. The dish should be served hot, garnished with herbs.

How to cook frozen mussels?

An excellent option would be a dish of mussels cooked in Parmesan.

Take: 100 grams of parmesan, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 kg of mussels, 200 grams table wine, 25 grams of butter, salt and pepper.

The mussels should be thawed and washed. Then place them in a saucepan, add glass of water and white wine. You need to boil them over medium heat for 7-9 minutes. Place the pan on the fire, and when it warms up, put butter and a little lean, wait until it starts to sizzle. Next, add grated Parmesan and chopped garlic to the pan. Each mussel must be processed in such a way that only one shell remains, poured with cheese and garlic sauce and grilled. When the cheese is completely melted, place the clams on a platter and serve only when the cheese begins to harden. For this dish, you should look for larger mussels; they look more appetizing and impressive.

Bon appetit!

I don’t know whether you know it or not, but mussels (as well as pangasius, some types of salmon, tilapia, sturgeon, shrimp and much more) are a product farm production. The main difference in mussel production is that the mussels do not need to be fed, they actually grow on their own.

1. The whole task of the farmer is making the right choice location of the farm and installation of the so-called mussel collector. Collectors are different, but they are all similar to one another.

During the season, the female mussel lays eggs. She carries it under her gills until “tadpoles” hatch from them and are capable of swimming. Tadpoles are looking for a place to “fix” themselves and many of them are attached to the nylon ropes of the collector, as shown in the diagram.

2. Farms are usually located in very picturesque places and look like this from the outside

3. After this, the farmer can only monitor the growth and condition of the mussels. The growth period of a mussel is from 10 to 14 months, after which it acquires a marketable appearance, is removed from the sea and delivered to the factory.

Now about the sad thing. In the world great amount places suitable for mussel farming. They are produced in Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, a little in Ukraine, a little in Russia. In both Russia and Ukraine there is a geographical opportunity for a significant increase in production volumes. However, in supermarkets there is a large selection of products produced either in China (the majority) or in Chile.

We will deal with the most widely presented product.
Mussels are produced three types: mussel meat (that is, a mussel removed from the shell), a mussel in a half shell, and a mussel in a whole shell.

4. Mussel meat is calibrated by the number of pieces per kilogram: 100-200, 200-300 and 300-500 pieces, respectively. The larger the mussels, the more expensive they are

5. Mussels in half a shell

6. Mussels in the sink, vacuum-sealed.
All mussels entering our market are processed with boiling water and are suitable for consumption immediately after defrosting. Mussel meat is usually used for cooking; mussels in the shell are consumed “as is.”

Now about the quality of the product from the main manufacturers on the market.
As I already said, mostly on the market (if we are talking about frozen and not processed mussels) are mussels grown in Chile and China. The Chilean product is much more expensive to purchase, but also much better in quality. To make it clear what I’m talking about, I’ll present two photographs.

10. As you can easily see, the Chilean product is frozen much more carefully. Another way to distinguish a Chinese-made product is sizing. It was not in vain that I wrote that mussel meat (as well as mussels in half shells and in whole shells) is calibrated by size. Chilean sizing is always impeccable: the mussels in the box are almost indistinguishable in size from one another. The Chinese often come across a mismatch: mussels of different sizes. Plus the color: Chinese mussels often have a distinct orange color, which is not the case with the Chilean product.

So, you ask me. Is the Chinese product bad?
I’ll answer honestly: I don’t know. If the mussels are not fed anything, then the water area becomes most important: first of all, its cleanliness. Considering that mussels are essentially filter feeders, any rubbish tends to settle in them. I have been to farms in Chile many times and I know for sure that control there is at a very high level. I haven’t been to any farms in China, so I can’t say anything about this.

I myself only buy Chilean products.

I hope you found it interesting.

In our countries you can eat mussels all year round. The main thing is to learn how to collect them correctly, choose quality mussels in the store and be able to cook them. And you can make anything from a shellfish - light salads, delicious pasta, soufflé, soup or risotto.

Mussels are valued for...

Mussels are good for both ladies and their life partners. The former value them for their extreme low-calorie content: while a piece of pork or lamb weighing 100 g averages 250-300 kcal, shellfish meat provides only 50 kcal (even shrimp have a higher calorie content, about 80 kcal). So you can safely enjoy good taste and the delicate consistency of the mussels and not be afraid to ruin your figure. For men, this seafood is also incredibly healthy and is a real aphrodisiac.

It's all about the unique shellfish meat, which contains almost no carbohydrates, but has a high concentration of high-quality protein, vitamins B and E (the latter is called bearing offspring), omega-3 fatty polyunsaturated acids, iodine, calcium and magnesium. At the same time, mussels are low in cholesterol and high in phospholipids, which have a beneficial effect on liver function.

In terms of protein content, mussel meat is superior to beef and fish. It includes up to 3 percent high fat biological value, animal starch, beneficial for the body, is glycogen, the content of which exceeds all other products of animal origin, even cottage cheese. Mussel meat contains more than 30 different macro and microelements, almost the entire group of vitamins, including provitamin D3, and a number of enzymes that help improve digestion.

Mussel meat is recommended as dietary product for persons with atherosclerosis, for the purpose of preventing obesity in diseases of the liver, gallbladder, diabetes mellitus, patients with anemia, elderly people.

In general, this seafood is incredibly healthy, so try to include it in your menu periodically.

However, do not forget that poisoning by sea reptiles is one of the most terrible, so choose mussels for your culinary masterpieces very carefully.

Mussel fishing

The simplest thing is to collect mussels. Mussels “graze” on underwater rocks and rocks.

Mussels should be looked for on natural and man-made sea rocks and underwater rocks. Take a plastic bag, some mittens or gloves, which you don’t mind, because their job is to suffer from cuts instead of your hands, and scuba diving goggles, if you have them. There is usually no need to dive deep for mussels - quite large specimens live at a depth of 0.5-1.0 m.

The fishing location can be anywhere where they have something to grow on. In wild conditions, these are rocky beaches, where the rocks break off into the sea and continue underwater in the form of underwater grottoes and crevices; in civilized conditions, these are all kinds of piers, reinforced concrete piles, walls in ports and other places where swimming is prohibited.

Perhaps the only type of coast where it is better not to fish for mussels is sandy and pebble beaches. General rule: the deeper and further from civilization, the larger the mussels.

Since mussels filter water through themselves, it is advisable not to collect them in bays where the water can stagnate and be dirty.

It is also advisable to pick mussels that grow as high as possible from the bottom, because... they will contain less sand. Under water, you need to hold on tightly to the algae with one hand so as not to float up, a bag or net for mussels should dangle on the same hand, and tear with the other hand. You can also adapt the bag over your shoulder - it should be held fairly tightly so as not to fall, but loose enough to slip out of it if something happens.

We take care not only of our hands, but also of our feet, so as not to cut ourselves on the sharp edges of the mussels.

That's probably all...

How to choose mussels in a store

If you do not have the opportunity to collect mussels yourself, you need to know how to choose the right mussels in a grocery store.

So, experts advise buying freshly caught mussels (that were caught within three hours) or frozen. This is important to protect yourself and your family from serious poisoning. If you have even the slightest suspicion that the mussels were previously thawed, it’s not worth the risk.

More dead than alive

If you are lucky enough to buy fresh mussels, make sure that all shells are closed. If they are slightly open, it means that the mollusk is more likely dead than alive. You can even hit the shell with your finger - if it reacts and contracts, then everything is ok, if not, such seafood is dangerous for your stomach. Another important indicator freshness sea reptile- absence specific smell. Professionals say that good mussels should smell only of the sea. However, in our country, mussels are sold mainly in a boiled-frozen state, so you can understand whether they are fresh or not only after defrosting. This means that before cooking, take them out of the freezer and thaw them at room temperature and give it a good sniff. If you feel even a slight odor, it is better to refuse the delicacy.

In the sink or without?

Unlike shrimp, which can vary greatly in size, mussels do not have a wide variety of shapes. There are large gourmet ones (35/40) wearing fruit name kiwi, and there are medium-length clams, of which there are from 40 to 60 pieces per kilogram - they are the most popular. You can buy seafood in a whole shell (it is steamed and vacuum-packed), half shell, or a clean fillet. In any case, the mussels should not be covered with a very thick layer of ice, and even more so there cannot be snow or yellow streaks on them - this indicates that the product has been defrosted and re-frozen.

Shellfish meat should be light, voluminous, elastic and have an excellent presentable appearance (black and flabby fillets indicate the old age of the seafood). If you buy canned food or preserves, before purchasing, be sure to study the brine - the brine in which mussels swim. It must be absolutely transparent; there cannot be blood clots, mold or other foreign matter in it. Don’t forget to also check the integrity of the packaging so that the oil does not leak out of the plastic jar and the vacuum bag is not torn. The label on the jar must be glued evenly and carefully, and all information on it must be clearly and understandably presented. If the composition of the product is impossible to read, the letters are blurry and the piece of paper is held crookedly, then most likely such preserves were made in an underground workshop (they are usually prepared from defrosted mussels).

How to cook freshly caught (or freshly purchased) mussels?

To begin with, let's decide on the quantity. An adult needs approximately 500 grams of mussels in shells. However, as practice has shown, if you want to fill up, it is better to increase the amount by another 250 grams. In total, you need 750 grams of raw mussels per person.

So first you need to wash the sinks well in running water. Next, use a sharp knife to clean the shells from adhering dirt, silt, and remains of aquatic plants. You can clean the mussels with the mussels themselves, just use one mussel to wipe off the dirt from the other.

Second important point - It is imperative to check whether the mussels are alive or not. This can be done this way. To begin, submerge the mussels in cold water and keep them there for about 20 minutes. Live, that is, good mussels, will drown. If they float on the surface, it means they are no longer fresh and it is better not to eat them. Another important feature is that the shells of living mussels must be closed. If you knock on a living, partially closed shell, it should close immediately. If the mussels do not close, they must be thrown away.

Cooking mussels is quite easy. The most popular way to prepare mussels is to stew them in wine or simply in water with seasonings (lemon, garlic, parsley, dill, bay leaf).

In order to stew mussels, you don’t need to pour a lot of wine or water into the container. Enough for the liquid to cover the bottom. The mussels are boiled and stewed for only 3-5 minutes. So, as soon as the shells open, the mussels are ready.

If you bought frozen mussels, then first you need to defrost them. It is best to do this not in the microwave, but at room temperature. Next, rinse the mussels in running water. And you can cook or stew our dish according to the recipe written above.

By the way, it turns out that mussels, like oysters (but only very fresh ones!) can be eaten even raw. To do this, just water them lemon juice and lightly salt it.

Seafood is not only tasty, but also very healthy products. Today, supermarkets offer a wide range of similar products and among the available options are mussels. IN fresh Finding them is almost impossible, but frozen ones can be found in almost any grocery store.

Before freezing, manufacturers clean and cook the product, but despite this, it is recommended to carry out additional processing at home.

Bouillabaisse
Reviews and comments

How to choose frozen mussels?

In order not to be disappointed in the taste of the purchased seafood, you need to choose it correctly.

It is not recommended to buy goods in bulk, since there is no way to check how long it has been stored and exactly when it was produced. Choose options in separate packaging, where you can read full information about the manufacturer;

Pay attention to the condition of the ice glaze. There shouldn't be a lot of it, since you will be paying for water. The presence of snow or any other abnormalities indicates that the product has been defrosted and re-frozen. Perfect option– a thin, solid layer of glaze without any defects;
Smell the product. Ideally, there should be no aroma present, or a pleasant fishy smell is allowed.

How to cook peeled and frozen mussels?

I would like to immediately say that you need to defrost the product only once, since repeated freezing will not only spoil appearance, but will also worsen the taste and benefits. First, you need to leave the shellfish in the refrigerator for several hours, and then keep it at room temperature. Once defrosted in the refrigerator, seafood can be stored for up to 36 hours before it spoils.

Cooking can be done in water, milk, wine, oil and other liquids. It is important to know how long you need to cook frozen mussels, because with prolonged heat treatment they simply become rubbery.

In order not to spoil the taste, you must follow the rules heat treatment, which we’ll talk about below.

Option No. 1 – how to cook boiled-frozen mussels in wine. For this heat treatment option, you should use Chardonnay or a similar other drink. Pour the wine into a saucepan, add salt and spices intended for seafood. Place on low heat and add the boiled and frozen mussels. After boiling, boil for 5 minutes. All you have to do is take it out, cool it a little and you can serve. Lemon will perfectly complement the taste of the dish. They can be served as a separate dish or used in salads, appetizers, etc.;
Option No. 2 – how to properly cook peeled and frozen mussels in milk. Many people prefer this method, since milk makes seafood tender and gives it creamy taste. Pour milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. After that put it there main product, boil and cook for 5 minutes. It is recommended to stir constantly. Finally, add salt to taste. The product prepared according to this recipe is ideal with rice, pasta and mashed potatoes. It will diversify and improve the taste of salads;
Option number 3 - how to cook in oil. Take a saucepan and pour a little into it olive oil and add spices. Stir well and boil, and then add seafood. Now let’s figure out how long to cook frozen and peeled mussels in oil. The duration of heat treatment in this case is 7 minutes. Place on several layers of paper towels to remove excess grease. The seafood will be very tasty, soft and juicy.

How to cook frozen mussels in shells?

In stores you can purchase the product along with shells, and in this case the process has its own characteristics. First you need to thoroughly wash and clean the shells, removing any build-up. If the shells have cracks or are open, it is best to throw them away as the shellfish is spoiled. Place them in a saucepan and fill them with enough water so that the shells are above the liquid level. Add salt and spices to taste and place the pan on the fire.

Once boiling, lower the heat so that the liquid simmers slowly. Now we’ll find out how long to cook clams in shells. The duration of heat treatment is 7-10 minutes. During this time, the shells will open and the seafood will cook. After this, drain everything in a colander and cool slightly. The next stage is the removal of the shell and hard bundles of fibers. The product can be eaten or you can cook it further in different recipes.

Cooking delicious frozen shellfish dishes

Now let’s figure out what dishes can be prepared from seafood that will delight both adults and children. They can be prepared not only for home meals, but also for welcoming guests and for holidays.

Peeled mussels with creamy sauce

Let's start with the simplest, but at the same time very popular appetizer that can be served to guests or at a buffet table.

Take the following products: 1 kg of shellfish, bay, peppercorns, lemon, 0.5 liters of cream 33%, 125 g of Parmesan, 2 yolks, a clove of garlic and basil.

Step-by-step instruction:

Pour water into a saucepan and boil it. Add the bay leaf, 7 peppercorns and after a couple of minutes add the cleaned mussels in their shells. After boiling again, cook everything for 10 minutes;

To make the sauce, mix the cream with grated cheese, yolks, and also add garlic passed through a press and chopped basil. Mix everything thoroughly with a whisk until smooth;
Remove the mussels, separate the shells and remove the clams. This is easy to do, since the shell must open. Take a baking sheet, lay out the shell halves and place the clams in them. Add a few teaspoons of prepared sauce to each. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 200 degrees for 10 minutes.

Bouillabaisse

Famous all over the world french soup, which is served in many restaurants. Now you will learn how to prepare it at home. The amount of ingredients is designed for 6 servings.

Take the following products: onion, 3 cloves of garlic, a couple of sprigs of thyme, 3 tbsp. spoons of olive oil, tomato, bay, salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of saffron, 325 g of frozen shelled mussels and shrimp and 1 kg of fish fillet.

To cook soup properly, you need to prepare the ingredients. Finely chop the peeled onion and garlic, and then place it in a saucepan with a thick bottom, where you need to preheat a couple of tablespoons of oil. Put thyme there;
Peel the tomatoes and cut them small cube and add to the onion. Send laurel and saffron there. Pour in a couple of glasses of water and boil. Add salt and pepper and cook for 25 minutes;

Clean the shrimp, wash the mussels thoroughly with a brush, and cut the fillet in small pieces. Place the fish in the soup and cook for 5 minutes. After this, add the seafood and cook for another 10 minutes. After the time has passed, remove the fish and seafood and place them on a plate;
What remains in the pan should be rubbed through a sieve, and the resulting mass should be returned and pour in the remaining oil. Boil, add fish and seafood, and salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and leave the soup covered for a while to steep.

Now you know everything possible ways how to cook frozen mussels by boiling. Choose the most suitable option for yourself and use it to prepare a delicious snack.

Today, mussels and oysters are the most popular shellfish that are found in the cuisines of almost all peoples of the world. No one has reliable information about when and under what circumstances they began to be consumed by humans. We only know that this happened a very, very long time ago. Historians and archaeologists say they have evidence of shellfish harvesting primitive man, dating back even further than the evidence of his fishing and hunting activities. However, modern people are interested in slightly different questions. For example, how mussels differ from oysters, which shellfish are tastier and healthier for humans, how to properly prepare seafood delicacies, etc.

Well, we will try to give answers to these questions, and also introduce the reader to some interesting facts about these sea mollusks.

Many people do not differentiate between mussels and oysters. But they are completely different marine mollusks. So, what are mussels and oysters, and how can you tell them apart? Now let's look at this issue.

Appearance

To begin with, it is worth noting that the appearance of these sea creatures completely different. Thus, oysters are larger compared to mussels. Their shells are somewhat rough and wavy along the edges. Oyster shells are characterized by a flat or slightly concave shape. Mussels, in turn, have a much smaller shell size. Their shape is also completely different: more rounded, with sharp edges. You can also distinguish mollusks from each other by the color of the shell. Oysters are generally quite light in color, while mussels are dark gray to almost black. The presence of one shade or another depends on the quality of the water in the reservoir in which the mollusks live.

Lifestyle

You can understand how mussels differ from oysters by considering the lifestyle of one and other mollusks. So, oysters do not have the ability to move. They spend their entire lives "sitting" in one place, with their entire shell attached to stones or other hard rocks present on the surface. seabed. Mussels are capable of changing their location. A special thread (byssus) allows them to do this. With its help, mussels attach to some immovable objects and travel in search of food over distances that the thread allows.

Considering the existence of mollusks in communities, one more feature can be noted that distinguishes these two species. If mussels prefer to lead a social life, attaching themselves in a row one after another, then oysters live in “clumps,” sometimes tightly cementing themselves with each other.

How are mussels different from oysters? Which is healthier?

Both one and the other have very high nutritional value For human body. Both oysters and mussels are good prevention cancer diseases. This property is explained high content in marine mollusks such elements as sodium and fluorine.

The differences between oysters and mussels are in the way they are prepared. More precisely, the former cannot be cooked through heat treatment, but the latter must be cooked. This is due to the fact that oysters are more pure product. They are eaten raw. And due to their more active life activity, mussels accumulate a dangerous dose of harmful substances, which are released into the water after boiling.

Price

Perhaps the main criterion for how mussels differ from oysters (photos of both types are presented in the article for clarity) is their cost.

The latter are quite expensive and, as a rule, are served only in some restaurants in our country. And mussels can be found on sale quite often. In almost every store you can buy these shellfish frozen at a fairly affordable price.

How to choose?

Perhaps these were the main nuances that allow even the furthest from haute cuisine for a person to understand the difference between mussels and oysters. Now let's look at some more important points, which relate to methods of preparation and rules for eating such shellfish, of course, taking into account the differences that were given above.

It is believed that fresh mussels and oysters that remained alive until frozen have closed shells. And they open after they die. This should be taken into account when choosing mussels and oysters in the store.

Treatment

After purchase sea mollusks you need to process them as quickly as possible. Of course, in the case of frozen ones, you can wait, but if the mussels were purchased live or even chilled, you must immediately begin preparing them. First you need to open the shells, turning their sharp side towards you and, inserting a knife between the two halves, turn it 90 degrees and remove the mollusk. After this, you need to remove its insides and rinse well under running water. In the case of oysters, cooking will be completed at this stage. After processing, they must be served immediately, adding some sauce or a slice of lemon to the dish.

Well, before you serve the mussels, they need to be cooked. Although they are stored somewhat longer than oysters, they are beneficial features They are starting to get lost every day. Having cleared the shells and entrails, they can be boiled and seasoned, again, with any sauce. Ready dish mussels can be stored in the refrigerator for about 12 hours.

How are mussels different from oysters? As mentioned earlier, the latter can be consumed raw, but the former cannot. This is a very important criterion. In the cuisines of many nations there are recipes specifically raw oysters. However, before consuming shellfish this way, you need to make sure that they were obtained from an environmentally friendly reservoir. Otherwise, it is better to prefer a cooked oyster dish.

Sea shellfish can be served separately, or can be a component of any dish. Restaurants most often offer to try oysters separately. But in home kitchen In order to save money, you can add other ingredients to them.

Cooking method

Another nuance in how mussels differ from oysters is the way they are consumed. Oysters can be served with their shells closed. Then you will have to open them yourself. To do this, you need to open the shell, cut off the part with a knife that attaches the oyster meat to it, pour the sauce on it and drink the whole oyster at once.

If shellfish are served peeled, they should be consumed with cutlery. Mussels are always served peeled, and, as a rule, there are no problems with their consumption.

Conclusion

The information presented in the article is enough to understand how mussels differ from oysters, how to distinguish between them and separate high-quality shellfish from low-quality ones, as well as how to prepare and consume these delicacies. As a rule, anyone who has tried a dish of such seafood delights will want to try it more than once.