How to cook unpeeled mussels. Delicious and satisfying pasta with shellfish

Novice cooks and seafood aficionados will be happy to learn how to cook frozen mussels so that they retain their juiciness, remain soft and tender. Versatile recipes will allow you to find applications valuable product and enjoy the great taste of the resulting dishes.

What to cook with mussels?

Recipes with mussels can be simple and concise or sophisticated and multi-component.

1. Mussels can be fried in an oiled frying pan, adding your favorite spices, garlic or onions if desired.
2. Boiled shellfish are used for self-serving with sauces, added to salads and other multi-component culinary compositions.
3. Mussels in shells are often baked in the oven or added to soups and paella.
4. Cleaned frozen seafood is an ideal component for preparing a sea version of pilaf, risotto, pizza, pasta, julienne and other dishes.

How to cook frozen mussels in shells?

1. The shells can be boiled for 7 minutes in a small amount of water, or using a mixture with the addition of white wine, beer, fresh herbs, all kinds of seasonings and spices. In progress heat treatment all shells should open. Unopened specimens should be discarded.
2. Seafood is delicious stewed in tomato sauce with the addition of onions, garlic, and spices.
3. Clams frozen in half shells are often baked under creamy and tomato sauces with the addition of cheese, garlic, herbs.
4. First courses with mussels or all kinds of stews and compositions with rice turn out tasty and filling.

How to cook frozen mussels without shell?

Knowing how to properly cook frozen mussels without shell, you will be able to do a lot of things in practice. complex recipes involving boiled or fried shellfish or simply enjoying their amazing delicate taste.

1. When using a raw-frozen product, cook it for 7 minutes. If shellfish are frozen after they have already been boiled, then the heat treatment time should be minimized. You can boil or fry them for 2-3 minutes.
2. Mussel meat, if boiled or fried with spices, will become an excellent component for creating all kinds of simple and sophisticated salads.
3. Peeled shellfish are added to soups, pilaf, pizza, and other dishes and snacks.
4. Thawed and boiled mussel meat can be easily marinated in a mixture of oil, lemon juice, herbs and all kinds of seasonings and spices. It’s delicious to add a little to the marinade. soy sauce. This preparation is served as a stand-alone snack or used to prepare salads.

Pasta with mussels in creamy sauce

Pasta with mussels in creamy sauce will be an excellent nutritious and tasty dish for your everyday diet and special occasion meals. You can prepare such a culinary masterpiece in a matter of minutes: while the pasta is cooking, an appetizing sauce with shellfish will be ready, which will only need to be supplemented with cheese and herbs.

Ingredients:

• mussels – 600 g;
• pasta – 450 g;
• cream – 400 ml;
• tomatoes – 3 pcs.;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• vegetable oil– 70 ml;
• dried basil – 1 teaspoon;
• cheese – 150 g;
• salt, pepper

Preparation

1. Defrost the mussels, place them in hot oil and fry for a couple of minutes.
2. Add garlic, basil, grated or chopped tomatoes without skin, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the cream, season the sauce to taste, heat to a boil, and transfer to the boiled pasta.
4. Serve a hot dish with grated cheese and herbs.

Pilaf with mussels

Like all dishes with frozen mussels, pilaf is prepared quickly, does not take much time and at the same time makes you happy excellent taste. Classical vegetable composition onions and carrots can be supplemented with diced or stripped bell peppers, frozen green or fresh peas, sweet corn.

Ingredients:

• mussels – 350 g;
• rice – 250 g;
• carrots and onions – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 1 head;
• vegetable oil – 70 ml;
• wine – 0.5 cups;
• boiling water – 0.5 l;
• salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, ground ginger.

Preparation

1. Fry onions and carrots in oil.
2. Add herbs, spices, unpeeled garlic cloves, fry for 5 minutes.
3. Lay the mussels, pour in the wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
4. Add rice, heat until translucent, adding salt to taste.
5. Pour in boiling water, cook the rice with mussels and vegetables under the lid until the moisture is absorbed.

Mussel soup - recipe

The following recipe is for those who do not yet know how to cook frozen mussels for the first time. Appetizing, rich and aromatic soup with shellfish meat will qualitatively satisfy the feeling of hunger and amuse taste buds gourmets and seafood lovers. Smoked lard Can be replaced with brisket or loin.

Ingredients:

• mussels – 350 g;
• potatoes – 250 g;
• leek – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• vegetable oil – 50 ml;
• wine – 0.5 cups;
• cream – 250 ml;
• water – 750 ml;
• salt, pepper, nutmeg, parsley.

Preparation

1. Fry leeks, chopped garlic and parsley in hot oil until soft.
2. Add slices of lard and fry, stirring, for another 10 minutes.
3. Place thawed mussels, pour in wine, and heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add cream and simmer the sauce for another 7-10 minutes.
5. Boil potato cubes in a saucepan with water and add creamy sauce with shrimp.
6. Season the mussel soup with salt and spices and heat for a minute.

Fried mussels with onions

Mussels with onions fried in a frying pan with butter are incredibly tasty. Instead of lime, you can take lemon, and replace olive oil with refined sunflower oil. Often the dish is supplemented at the end of frying with freshly chopped parsley, basil, dill, thyme or a dry mixture of aromatic herbs.

Ingredients:

• mussels – 0.5 kg;
• onions – 2 pcs.;
• lime – 0.5 pcs.;
• olive oil – 50 ml;
• salt, pepper

Preparation

1. In heated oil, fry the chopped onions.
2. Add thawed mussels, simmer for 5 minutes while stirring, season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, transfer the fried shellfish with onions to a plate and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Salad with mussels - recipe

Salad with frozen mussels will effectively complement any meal. Appetizing bright appearance the snacks are complemented by her magnificent taste characteristics. In addition to the proposed vegetable set, you can use sweet bell pepper, ideally in different colors, and also add some lettuce onions for piquancy.

Ingredients:

• mussels – 200 g;
• tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
• cucumber – 1 pc.;
• arugula – 100 g;
• avocado - 1 pc.;
• olives – 50 g;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• lemon juice – 1 tbsp. spoon;
• salt, pepper

Preparation

1. Boil, drain and cool the mussels.
2. Add chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado pulp, arugula, and olives.
3. Add finely chopped garlic, add a dressing of oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, mix.

Baked mussels with cheese

Mussels and cheese go perfectly together, especially if you bake them in the oven with the addition of a spicy creamy sauce. To complete the recipe, you will need large frozen shellfish in half shells, which will need to be thawed at room conditions or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator compartment.

Ingredients:

• mussels in shells – 0.5 kg;
• cheese – 250 g;
• cream – 250 ml;
• garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• onion – 0.5 pcs.;
• flour – 1 tbsp. spoon;
• olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• salt, pepper

Preparation

1. Finely chopped onion and garlic are fried in oil.
2. Pour in the cream, season the gravy to taste, thicken with flour, and stir in half the grated cheese.
3. Lay out the thawed shells with clam meat on a baking sheet, add a spoonful of gravy to each and sprinkle with cheese shavings.
4. Bake with cheese for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

Fried mussels with garlic

Cooked mussels with tomatoes and garlic in a frying pan can be excellent independent snack, which will be a pleasure to enjoy with a slice fresh bread. In addition, the resulting dish will effectively complement boiled pasta, to which it would not be amiss to add grated cheese and herbs.

Ingredients:

• mussels – 0.5 kg;
• tomatoes – 3 pcs.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• salt, pepper, basil and parsley.

Preparation

1. Sliced ​​onions are fried in oil.
2. Add chopped garlic, and after a minute, thawed mussels.
3. Fry until the moisture evaporates, then add chopped tomatoes without skin.
4. Season the dish to taste, heat it for 10 minutes, season it with chopped parsley and basil, and let it brew a little.

Pizza with mussels - recipe

The following recipe will help you learn how to properly cook frozen mussels, so that even non-special seafood lovers will absorb the dish with pleasure and appetite. To do this, you just need to bake the browned and flavorful pizza. The shellfish meat here is harmoniously combined with olives, tomatoes and mozzarella.

Ingredients:

• pizza dough – 500 g;
• mussels – 250 g;
• tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
• tomato sauce and mayonnaise - 3 tbsp each. spoons;
• olives – 10-12 pcs.;
• mozzarella – 80 g;
• hard cheese and greens.

Preparation

1. Boil or fry mussels in a frying pan.
2. Roll out the dough and place it on a baking sheet, brush with a mixture of mayonnaise and tomato.
3. Place shellfish meat, tomato slices, olives, and mozzarella on top.
4. Sprinkle the appetizer with grated cheese and put it in the oven.
5. After 20 minutes, the finished one is sprinkled with herbs and served.

Risotto with mussels - recipe

The popular dish turns out to be incredibly tasty if you cook it with mussels. To complete the recipe, you will need short-grain arborio rice, which cooks well and has mild taste. The constant component is in this case white dry wine, which must be of high quality.

Ingredients:

• mussels – 350 g;
• rice – 200 g;
• wine – 100 ml;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• parmesan – 50 g;
• broth - 3-4 glasses;
• salt, pepper, provencal herbs, greens.

Preparation

1. Fry crushed garlic in oil.
2. Add onion, brown and add rice.
3. Heat for 2 minutes, pour in wine, let soak.
4. Add broth in portions, each time allowing the liquid to be completely absorbed by the rice.
5. Season the dish to taste and add defrosted shellfish.
6. Cook for another 5 minutes, serve with Parmesan and herbs.

Julienne with mussels - recipe

Another recipe for the effective use of your favorite shellfish will be presented below. It will be received with particular delight by fans of julienne. If desired, the composition of the dish can be supplemented with medium-sized chopped fried onions, which are often used in cooking classic version food

Frozen, not everyone knows. Moreover, after trying such a product, few remain its eternal fans. This is due, first of all, to the fact that the mentioned shellfish is not always prepared correctly. After all, in order to amaze your guests with delicious exotic dish, it must be subjected to special heat treatment.

So, let's figure out together how to cook frozen mussels so that their taste becomes delicious and unforgettable.

Choosing the right product

Before you cook peeled frozen mussels, you need to find out how to choose them correctly:

• There should be no frost on the frozen product, as well as cracks in the glaze of the ice. If such defects do exist, then, most likely, the mollusks have already been thawed, and during the next thawing they will almost completely lose their beneficial properties.
• Frozen peeled mussels should be light in color.
• It is recommended to purchase only the largest shellfish. After all, they are considered the most delicious and juicy. As a rule, on packages with this product two numbers are always indicated, which indicate the number of pieces per kilogram (55/1 or 40/1). Thus, the lower the first number, the larger the mussels will be.
• Mussels are a natural filter of the aquatic environment. According to experts, they filter about 700 liters of liquid per day. And if shellfish are grown in an ecologically polluted region, they can accumulate a lot of harmful substances. It is better not to eat such a product, as there is a high risk of poisoning.
• It should be noted that from 1 kg of unpeeled mussels, about 100 g of peeled mussels come out.

Defrosting the product and cleaning it properly

Before cooking frozen mussels, they must be thawed. To do this, the glazed clams must be removed from the bag, and then placed in a deep bowl and placed in the refrigerator. After the ice has completely melted, the product must be placed in a colander and then rinsed thoroughly under strong pressure of cool water. This procedure will help you get rid of sand, which often remains in shellfish after they are cleaned.

It should be noted that very often housewives purchase such a product in shells. And here the question arises not only about cooking this ingredient, but also about how to clean frozen mussels. This is quite easy to do. It is necessary to defrost the product by placing it in cold water, and then wash thoroughly with a brush. Next, the shells need to be boiled (for 15-17 minutes), cooled and the shellfish removed from the opened shells.

In order to save time and money, we recommend purchasing already peeled mussels. After all, you often find spoiled shellfish in shells that are unsuitable for consumption.

Frozen peeled mussels: recipes for various dishes

Mussels can be cooked perfectly in different ways: in a slow cooker, steamed, in the microwave, and on the stove. Thawed shellfish are fried, boiled, baked and even pickled. This seafood is used to prepare not only soups and salads, but also appetizers and hot dishes. It should be thermally treated for only about 3-5 minutes.

Before cooking peeled frozen mussels, you should remember that such shellfish can have a rather strong aroma and taste of fish or mud. In order to get rid of them, experts recommend spraying thawed and pure product freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Fried mussels with onion and garlic

How to cook frozen mussels in a frying pan? For this savory dish we will need:

• large onions - 2 pcs.;
• fresh butter - 70 g;
• salt and black pepper - to taste;
• frozen large mussels - 800 g;
• fresh garlic - a couple of cloves.

Cooking process

This dish turns out very tasty and nutritious. It can be consumed just like that, or served at the table along with some side dish.

So, before you deliciously cook frozen mussels, they should be thoroughly thawed, washed, and then completely dried by shaking vigorously in a colander or keeping them on paper towels. Next, you need to place the shellfish in a saucepan, add butter there and heat everything up as much as possible. After this, place finely chopped onions in the same bowl and mix everything thoroughly. As a result of this processing, you should get tasty and very juicy mussel meat. After they are well fried, you should add allspice, grated garlic and salt. After mixing the ingredients well, remove them from the heat, cover with a lid and keep in this position for about three minutes.

Cooking shellfish in Belgian style

Only people know how to boil frozen mussels in wine experienced chefs. But so that you can surprise your guests with such an exotic dish, we will reveal this secret right now.

So, to prepare mussels in Belgian style we will need:

Process of preparing shellfish

How to cook frozen mussels in white semi-sweet wine? To do this you need to pour alcoholic drink into the pan and then put it on low fire and let it boil for about one minute. Next, add some Provençal herbs to the wine and add 400 grams of thawed mussels. It is recommended to simmer the shellfish over low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly with a large spoon.

Making creamy sauce

To make a delicious and aromatic sauce for mussels, you should take a small saucepan, pour low-fat cream into it, and then add a large spoonful of Dijon mustard and finely chopped leeks. Sometimes some cooks add a small amount of capers along with the herbs. Finally, add to the cream blue cheese with mold, pre-cut into small cubes. Next, the sauce must be seasoned with white pepper and brought to the state of thick sour cream.

How to serve it at the dinner table?

After the mussels are boiled in wine, they should be drained in a colander, shaken thoroughly, and then placed on a plate and poured over cream sauce. In addition to this dish, you can serve some vegetables.

Baked clams in the oven

Surprisingly, this product turns out very tasty not only when boiled or fried, but also when baked. For this we need:

Preparing the shellfish

How should you bake frozen mussel meat? We will tell you how to prepare such a dish right now. To do this, you need to take a saucepan, pour water into it, add salt and bring to a boil. Next, you need to pour the thawed mussels into the dishes and boil them for about 3 minutes. After this, the products must be discarded in a colander and the liquid should be allowed to drain as much as possible.

Preparing a flavorful sauce for a dish

What needs to be done to ensure that you get very tasty frozen mussel meat? We will tell you how to prepare a creamy sauce for such a baked dish right now. To do this, you need to mash two processed cheeses with a fork, add to them chicken yolk, wheat flour, potato starch and squeezed garlic cloves. All ingredients should be mixed well. Next, you need to add about 300 ml to the resulting mass. heavy cream. After salting and peppering all the ingredients, mix them thoroughly again.

Forming and baking dishes in the oven

After the mussels are boiled and the sauce is completely ready, you can safely start baking the dish. To do this, you need to take a deep mold, line its surface with cooking foil or grease it with butter. Next, you need to place all the boiled shellfish in the bowl, and then pour in the creamy sauce and sprinkle with grated hard cheese.

At the end, the formed dish should be placed in an oven preheated to 200 degrees and baked until golden brown and delicious crust. Before serving, shellfish need to be sprinkled with grated cheese again.

Tasty and quick marinating of mussels in oil

How to marinate frozen mussels so you can enjoy them for several weeks? To do this, you need to prepare the following:

• drinking water - 1 l;
• sweet onion - 1 pc.;
• hot red pepper - 1 pc.;
• medium-sized table salt - ½ tablespoon;
• liquid smoke - dessert spoon;
• peeled and thawed mussels - 500 g;
• garlic - 1 head;
• any spices (dry dill, potted pepper, etc.) - add to taste;
• vegetable oil - 200 ml.

Preparing Ingredients

In order to marinate such a product, you should boil it in advance. To do this, pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan, boil it, and then throw in the peeled onion, red hot pepper and add salt. It is recommended to cook the broth for about a quarter of an hour. Next you should put it in dessert spoon liquid smoke and 500 g of peeled and thawed mussels. It is advisable to cook the ingredients in this composition for about three minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix the chopped head of garlic and spices to taste (for example, dry dill, black peppercorns, etc.).

Formation of the workpiece

After the mussels are ready, you should prepare the jars and lids, and then put the garlic with spices and boiled shellfish in them. All ingredients should be poured with vegetable oil, tightly closed and stored in a cool room. After about 12 hours, the marinated mussels will be completely ready to eat. Store them in refrigeration chamber It is recommended no more than 2-3 weeks. Serve this aromatic preparation It should be added to the holiday table as an appetizer or you can use it to prepare other dishes.

Cooking mussels in a slow cooker

You already know how to cook mussel dishes (frozen, peeled) on the stove and in the oven. That is why now we want to tell you how you can do delicious goulash from shellfish in this kitchen appliance like a slow cooker. For this we need:

Cooking process

Frozen mussels, the preparation of which involves the use of a multicooker, turn out especially tasty if you add aromatic spices and garlic to them. But first things first.

Cleaned and melted shellfish should be placed in the bowl of the device, pour in olive oil and fry in baking mode for 10 minutes. Next, you need to add crushed in a blender to the product. fresh tomatoes and low-fat cream. Seasoning the dish aromatic spices, salt and herbs, it should be cooked on the same program for about 10 minutes. After the excess liquid has evaporated and the shellfish have acquired a pleasant creamy tomato taste, add grated garlic to them and immediately distribute among plates. It should be noted that this dish is served only with a side dish.

Delicious and satisfying pasta with shellfish

Spaghetti and pasta lovers will definitely appreciate this simple recipe. Moreover, such a dish has every chance of becoming one of the most beloved. To prepare it we will need:

• peeled and thawed mussels - 200 g;
• peeled shrimp - 200 g;
• peeled squid - 200 g;
• butter - 90 g;
• garlic cloves - 4 pcs.;
• pasta or spaghetti - 500 g;
• pepper and salt - add to taste;
• low-fat cream - 150 ml;
• wheat flour - 2 large spoons;
• fresh parsley sprigs - to decorate the finished dish.

Cooking process

To prepare a tasty and satisfying pasta with mussels, you must follow the following sequence of actions:

Proper serving of food at the dinner table

Place the finished seafood pasta on a large plate and then generously pour the creamy sauce over it. It is advisable to serve this dish hot for lunch, garnishing it with several sprigs of fresh parsley. Bon appetit!

Mussel dishes are becoming increasingly popular. Because they are not only tasty, but also healthy. However, how to prepare this overseas delicacy? What subtleties do you need to know? We will talk about this later in the article.
Recipe contents:

Mussels - exquisite delicacy, containing many useful properties. The product consists of natural high-quality protein, which is equal in number of amino acids to chicken eggs. Shellfish also contain more than 30 minerals and trace elements. But in order to preserve all the nutritional value of seafood, you need to learn the secrets of its preparation.

Which shellfish to buy

To cook mussels deliciously, get maximum benefits and protect your family from serious poisoning, it is important to choose them correctly. Experts recommend purchasing freshly caught sea ​​reptiles(caught no more than 3 hours) or frozen. If you have the slightest suspicion, then it’s not worth the risk.

How to choose seafood

Fresh mussels smell exclusively of the sea. If there is an unpleasant odor and foreign odors, the product is spoiled. When choosing mollusks in shells, you need to pay attention to their valves - they must be tightly closed. Frozen, peeled sea creatures are light yellow in color. The shells must be intact, the surface without cracks or damage. If this is present, it means that the shellfish were defrosted or stored incorrectly. These have already lost their beneficial properties and may not be safe for health. More delicious mussels larger in size than their smaller counterparts.

You can check whether mussels are alive or not in the following way. Immerse them in cold water and soak for half an hour. Live (good) mussels will drown; those floating on the surface are not the first freshness. Another important feature is that live mussels always have closed shells. A slightly open shell of a living product - knock on it and it will immediately close; those that do not close can be thrown away.

How to cook mussels correctly - secrets and subtleties

• Buy mussels of the same size. Small shells are not useful, they contain little meat, about the size of a tiny pea.
• You need to defrost shellfish in the refrigerator, placing them in a bag. Slow defrosting will keep taste properties And useful substances product. Afterwards, peel, rinse and drain them in a colander.
• Blanch the mussels by pouring boiling water over them for a few minutes, or steam them.
• Mussels cook quickly - 6-10 minutes. The shell doors must open after cooking. If this does not happen, then they are not fresh.
• Since mussels are a highly perishable product, they must be cooked immediately.
• Before cooking, wash them thoroughly under running water and carefully scrape off small algae with a brush or knife. They must be washed until shiny.
• To be sure that shellfish do not contain sand or debris, they can be soaked in cold water for 4-6 hours.
• To cook mussels you can use following products: vegetable oil, lemon, salt, pepper, dry white wine, bay leaf, tomato, onion, sweet pepper, garlic, sour cream, carrots, cheese. For herbs and spices - celery, fennel, thyme, parsley, rosemary, cilantro (coriander), star anise (star anise), basil, ginger, saffron. Additional components Can be any products: sour cream, yogurt, cheese.
• It is delicious to eat shellfish with beer and dry white wine.
• Eat mussels with your hands using a fork. Take the opened cooked shell in one hand, and a fork in the other, which is used to twist the meat and separate it from the shells. You can replace the fork with a shell flap, and restaurants serve tongs for this purpose.
• Cooled ready-made shellfish can be added to salads, main courses or sauces. Afterwards, they must be washed to eliminate the possibility of foreign particles getting in, dried and scattered on a flat plate.

How to cook mussel meat

• Fresh shellfish must be exposed culinary processing on the day of purchase, or store in the refrigerator for a couple of days. They must first be cleared of shells and washed. Clams in shells - rinse thoroughly, remove shells and cracked shells. Then everything depends on imagination and taste preferences. The main thing is not to overcook them: peeled mussels are boiled for 5 minutes, clams in shells - until the shells open.
• Frozen mussels are prepared in the same way as fresh ones. They are thawed and washed thoroughly. Readiness is determined as follows: cleaned frozen seafood is cooked for 7 minutes, and shellfish in shells - until the shells open. Mussels in shells should be brought to a boil, drained and boiled for 10 minutes in fresh water until opened.
• Served the clams are hot, because... cooled ones lose some of their taste. They are not prepared for future use due to the high risk of poisoning. Therefore, it is not recommended to heat and store them.

How to cook frozen mussels: step-by-step recipe

• Calorie content per 100 g - 172 kcal.
• Number of servings - 2
• Cooking time - 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• Frozen mussels without shells - packaging
• Water - a large saucepan filled 2/3 with water
• Table salt- to taste
• Seasonings and spices - to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash the mussels thoroughly in running water, remove all dirt and algae.
2. Fill the pan with water, add salt, spices, herbs and bring to a boil.
3. Boil and place the clams in boiling salted water.
4. Bring to a boil again, reduce the gas to low and cook for 5 minutes. The specific cooking time depends on the size of the shellfish. Large reptiles can be cooked for 5 minutes, small ones - 3.
5. After a certain time, transfer the mussels to a plate. If you leave them in a pan, for example, to keep them warm, the clams will turn rubbery.

How to cook frozen mussels in shells

Ingredients:

• Mussels in shells - 1 kg
• Drinking water - 4 l
• Salt and spices - to taste

1. Thaw the shells of frozen sea inhabitants, wash them well and clean until shiny. Completely remove sand and dark, tough ingrown algae.
2. Place a pot of water on the stove and boil over high heat. Salt and add spices.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cook the frozen reptiles at a low simmer without a lid for 3-5 minutes. After using a slotted spoon, remove them from the water and use them for their intended purpose.
   

They talk about a lot, and, frankly, not without reason. Regular use shellfish will undoubtedly improve your well-being and have a beneficial effect on the functioning of all body systems. This will be entirely facilitated by the impressive content in the meat of this seafood of the lion's share of a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and elements, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Next, we will tell you how much to cook and how to properly prepare fresh sea ​​mussels in shells in order to preserve their value as much as possible, and at the same time subtly emphasize the already delicious taste of the mollusk.

How to cook raw mussels in a shell in sauce?

Ingredients:

• raw mussels in a shell – 350 g;
• garlic cloves – 4-5 pcs.;
• butter – 60 g;
• cream with a fat content of more than 33% – 140 ml;
• sprigs of fresh parsley;
• lemon;
• sea ​​salt And ground pepper.

Preparation

Before cooking, thoroughly wash the mussel shells, painstakingly removing sand and other contaminants from them. Now we place the product in cold water and place it on the stove burner, setting it to medium heat. Warm the clams until they begin to open. Immediately remove the mussels from the water and separate one shell from each. We mercilessly throw away unopened specimens; they cannot be eaten. Now melt the butter in a frying pan, pour a third of a glass of water into it and place the mussels there, shell side down. Now add some salt, pepper and heat for no more than a minute, after which we add chopped garlic, pour in the cream, throw in the chopped parsley and keep on the fire for a couple more minutes until the cream sauce thickens, which we add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve the mussels with the sauce, adding lemon slices and parsley sprigs to the dish.

How to cook fresh mussels in shells in the oven?

Ingredients:

Preparation

We remove the thoroughly washed mussel shells from one shell and place them on a baking sheet in one layer. Place dry bread, peeled garlic cloves, green basil and rosemary into a blender container, pour in a little olive oil, add sea salt and swiss cheese. Punch the ingredients until you get fine crumbs and sprinkle it over the mussels in their shells on a baking sheet. Now all that remains is to bake the mussels in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for fifteen minutes and we can serve the delicacy to the table, adding chopped lemon.

The sea has fed man for thousands of years. It is a repository of food supplies, which is famous for its nutritional value- rare microelements, vitamins, amino acids, high-quality protein. In addition to fish, the seas and oceans are inhabited by octopuses, crabs, squids, scallops and many more. healthy seafood, which are suitable for food, including mussels. Which have tender soft meat with a sweetish taste. When it is boiled, it gives off a pleasant aroma. Pilaf, soups, salads, and stews are prepared from mussel meat. It is salted, pickled, smoked, baked, fried. Mussels served with pasta, cereals, potatoes, vegetables. It should be remembered that it is advisable to consume cooked shellfish immediately; do not store them for more than twelve hours, otherwise poisoning is possible.

Mussels - food preparation

Before consumption, shellfish require some preparation. If you do not want to chew sand while eating, frozen mussels must be rinsed very thoroughly after defrosting.

If you are going to cook mussels in their shells, longer preparation will be required. First of all, it is necessary to visually inspect them and remove shellfish with damaged shells; they are not eaten. To open the doors, the mussels must be placed on hot frying pan or plunge into boiling water for two minutes. Then the meat is removed from the shell, the growth (a bunch of algae that attaches the mollusks to the stones) is pulled out, and thoroughly washed to remove sand and stones.

Mussels - best recipes

Recipe 1: Marinated mussels

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

Ingredients (1 option): 0.5 kg of mussels, vegetable oil – 2-3 table. false., ? lemon (juice), 150 ml dry wine (white), 1 clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon each. lie honey and prepared mustard, salt, pepper, 1 bay leaf, several sprigs of fresh dill and cilantro.

Cooking method

If using frozen mussels, defrost.
Prepare a spiced sauce in which the mussels will be boiled. To do this, boil the wine, put garlic in it (no need to chop), bay leaf ick, pepper, lower the mussels and boil for about four minutes (measure the time from the moment of boiling). Drain in a colander.
Make the marinade. Finely chop the greens, add lemon juice, oil, pepper, mustard, salt. You can use any mustard, for example, French or spicy.
More warm mussels together with a bay leaf and a clove of garlic, transfer it to the marinade and let it brew in the refrigerator for five hours. It is more convenient to marinate in glass jar or deep bowl. By the way, you can marinate shrimp in the same way.

Ingredients (Option 2): 0.5 kg of mussels, half a glass of water, 1 table. spoon of table vinegar (9%), 1.5-2 table. lie sugar, salt to taste.

Cooking method:

Thaw the shellfish. Salt the water, boil and boil the mussels in it for three to four minutes.
Make the marinade. It should taste sweet and sour. Dissolve salt and sugar in boiling water and add vinegar. IN hot marinade place mussels. In an hour they will be ready to eat. You can put them in jars and add a little vegetable oil.

Recipe 2: Baked mussels

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

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

Cooking method

Rinse the mussels well, peel the shells and boil for ten to fifteen minutes. You can add bay leaf, spices if desired, and salt to the water. During cooking, all the doors should open. Those that remain closed should not be eaten. Divide the cooled clams into halves and carefully separate the meat, which should be put back into the shells.

Grind the garlic and tomatoes using a grater or blender. Place a piece of butter and a spoonful of tomato mixture into each half of the meat, grate the cheese on top and bake for 20 minutes (180C).

Ingredients (Option 2): 0.5 kg mussels, peppercorns, hard cheese– 100g. Sauce: soft processed cheese– 100-150g, 200ml cream, 25g butter, 1 yolk, 1 table. spoon 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 remaining ingredients for the sauce. It is better to mix with a whisk or blender so that there are no lumps.

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

Recipe 3: Fried mussels

Fried mussels– the dish is simple to prepare, but delicious in taste. Both vegetable oil and melted butter will be used for frying. Nutritionists recommend cream, which contains at least 25% vegetable fats. But it must first be melted. Otherwise, harmful carcinogens may form in the pan when it burns.

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

Cooking method

Chop the onion into cubes and fry until golden. Add the mussels and fry, stirring constantly, for five to seven minutes over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, seasoning and remove from heat. Let it brew for a while, covered. Can be served with rice, potatoes or whatever independent dish.

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

— Mussels should not be subjected to long-term heat treatment, otherwise they will be dry and tasteless. The rule for boiling squids applies to them - no more than three to five minutes.

— Fresh mussels should not have unpleasant odor and be with tightly closed doors that cannot be opened by hand.