How to cook fresh mussels in shell. How to cook mussels in shells? Fresh mussels baked in shells

Mussels are the traditional food of the peoples living along the shores of the southern seas. However, among Russians this delicacy is not as popular as, say, among Europeans. However, if you know how to cook mussels deliciously, this seafood will have more supporters.

Mussels baked in the oven

Ingredients:

500 g mussels;

2 cloves of garlic;

juice of ¼ lemon;

2 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil;

½ tsp sweep dry herbs (Provencal, Italian, etc.);

5 black peppercorns;

salt - to taste

3 bay leaves

How to cook mussels baked in the oven:

Defrost mussels in the air. If the protruding bundle of fibers (so-called beard) is not removed, remove it.
Pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan, put bay leaves in it, add salt, pepper, bring to a boil. Dip the shells in boiling water, let the water boil again, cook for no more than 2 minutes.Then throw away the seafood in a colander, let the excess liquid drain.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Grind garlic in a press, mix with olive oil, a mixture of herbs and juice of ¼ lemon.
Arrange the mussels on a baking sheet. Put oil-garlic sauce in each half - about 1/3 teaspoon. Place the seafood pan in the preheated oven and cook for 7 minutes.
The dish is best served hot. Mussels baked in the oven are ready!

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Ingredients:

300 g of mussel meat;
vegetable oil;
2 large onions;
pepper, salt;
mayonnaise

How to cook fried mussels:

Wash the mussels.
Peel the onion, rinse, cut into small pieces, fry in vegetable oil until browned.
Put the clams on the onion, cook for another 4-5 minutes, add mayonnaise, mix, turn off the heat.
You can serve the fried mussels immediately or cool to room temperature.

Mussels in wine

Ingredients:

1 kg of mussels;

1 small carrot;

1 small onion;

1 st. a spoonful of butter;

1 teaspoon of white pepper;

125 g white wine

How to cook mussels in wine:

Rinse the mussels, put in cold water for 1 hour. Clean each shell with a brush, remove the tendrils with a knife.
Onions, carrots, peel, rinse, cut into small squares with sides of 3 mm.
Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed frying pan or saucepan, place the prepared vegetables in the melted fat, simmer them for about 4 minutes.
After that, put the mussels in a container, pepper them, add white wine, simmer for 6 minutes, covered with a lid. Then, taking the pot by the handles and the lid at the same time, shake its contents: this will help the lower mussels move up.
Cook them until all the shells open. Serve mussels cooked in wine hot with white bread.

Clam dishes are gaining popularity every year around the world. The exquisite taste of mussels prepared according to various recipes leaves no one indifferent. The delicacy is considered not only tasty, but also healthy, containing an impressive amount of minerals.

The right choice of mussels

When choosing fresh mussels, pay attention to the aroma, the clams should smell like the sea. Otherwise, the presence of an extraneous odor indicates damage to the product. When selecting fresh mussels in shells, look at tightly closed doors.
When buying peeled frozen clams, pay attention to the color, it should be lemon. If you choose mussels in shells, carefully inspect their surface. It should not have any cracks or chips.
These factors indicate neglected storage and freezing. This kind of mussels can create a danger to the body. Useful properties will also be missing.
Taste qualities directly depend on the size of the mollusks. When you purchase mussels, you can determine their quality at home. Place the clams in a container of melted water, wait 30 minutes. At the end of the specified time, live mollusks will sink to the bottom, spoiled ones will remain floating.
Another important factor is that the shells of good mussels are almost always closed. You can check it by tapping on it. If the shell does not close, dispose of the clam.

Frozen clams in shells

filtered water - 4.5 liters.
mussels in shells - 1.2 kg.
spices, salt - to taste

Place frozen clams in a container of cold water, wait until completely thawed. Then select good mussels, clean the shells to a glossy shine. Get rid of sand and algae.
Pour water into an enameled container, send it to the burner, simmer at maximum power. Wait until the first bubbles appear, add salt and spices to taste.
Then set the fire to the minimum level. Throw in the mussels. When boiling again, wait 3 minutes, remove the seafood. Start your meal by adding fresh herbs or sauce to taste.

Clams with coconut milk

onion - 1 pc.
lemongrass - 10 gr.
mussels in shells - 2.2 kg.
celery - ½ stalk
leek - 1 stalk
table salt - to taste
allspice - to taste
coconut milk - 600 ml.

Chop vegetables finely. When chopping leeks, try to use the white flesh. Place the clams in a large enamel bowl, top with the vegetables, then add the spices. Pour coconut milk over ingredients.
Send the pan to the burner, simmer at maximum power. Wait about 6 minutes, remove the container from the heat. Cover the container with a lid and shake well.

rock salt - 25 gr.
lemon juice - 12 ml.
drinking water - 1.2 liters.
mussels in shells (fresh) - 1.8 kg.

Soak the mussels in cold water, then peel the shells. Pour purified water into a heat-resistant container, send it to the fire, wait for bubbles to appear.
Then add lemon juice and salt. Place the clams in a saucepan, cover with a lid. After 4-5 minutes, remove the opened shells, cook the rest for no more than 8 minutes.
Clams that have not opened after the specified time should be discarded. Use until completely cool.

Stewed mussels in garlic sauce

lemon juice - 70 ml.
garlic - 1 head
fresh mussels in shells - 1.2 kg.
parsley - 10 gr.
ground black pepper - 4 gr.
cream - 20 ml.
filtered water - 150 ml.
table salt - to taste
butter - 65 gr.

Place the mussels in a pot of cool water. Send the container to a strong fire. Wait for the shells to open. Put the clams that have opened into the pan. Get rid of the top of the shell.
Pour 150 ml into a container with mussels. drinking water. Add salt to taste, butter, finely chopped garlic. Reheat the dish for about 2 minutes.
After the set time has elapsed, stir in the cream. The process of stewing over low heat occurs until the sauce turns into a creamy paste.
Once the desired consistency is achieved, place the mussels on a platter. In the resulting sauce, add allspice and chopped parsley. Pour the clams with the composition.

Mussels with white wine sauce

fat cream - 120 ml.
mussels in shells - 900 gr.
dry white wine - 550 ml.
cilantro - 35 gr.
lemongrass - 12 gr.
garlic - 6 teeth
table salt - to taste
allspice - 3 gr.
onion - 1 head
butter - 60 gr.
bay leaf - 3 pcs.
saffron - 3 gr.

Finely chop garlic and onion. Fry the ingredients in a pan with butter. Then pour in the wine, add lemongrass and bay leaf. Simmer the mixture for about 8 minutes.
After the set time has elapsed, place the clams in the pan. Simmer until the mussels open up. If the shell is intact, discard it.
Place the cooked mussels on a wide dish. Strain the sauce, then pour it into a saucepan, adding pepper, cream and saffron. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 7 minutes. Then crumble the cilantro, stir and pour over the clams.

grated tomatoes - 3 pcs.
garlic - 4 cloves
peeled mussels in shells - 1.2 kg.
table salt - to taste
ground pepper - to taste
olive oil - 30 gr.
breadcrumbs for breading - 60 gr.
parsley - 10 gr.
cloves - 1 bud.

Pour in 500 ml. water in a heat-resistant container, place the mussels. Turn on the maximum burner power. When the clams open, put them on a dish.
Remove the top of the shell. While the seafood is cooling, chop the parsley and rub it with pepper, salt, and cloves.
Combine greens in a common container with breadcrumbs, tomatoes and olive oil. Stir the composition to eventually get a mass of creamy consistency. Add water if necessary.
Place the clams on a pre-greased baking sheet. Spread a teaspoon of the sauce on each mussel shell.
Send the baking sheet for 12 minutes in a preheated oven to 180 degrees. After cooking, eat seafood hot.

When cooking mussels according to the standard recipe, boil the clams with water and white wine in a 1: 1 ratio. Such a move allows the seafood to acquire a delicate, refined aroma.
When buying fresh clams, they can be stored in the refrigerator for a day, wrapped in a cotton towel. The procedure is carried out after washing.
You can freeze seafood for up to 90 days. To do this, clean the shells, dry and place the mussels in a food container. Close the container tightly with a lid, send it to the freezer.

The process of cooking mussels in shells is not difficult. The main feature of creating a unique dish is considered to be properly selected shellfish. Follow the recommended recipes, then the delicacy will not leave your loved ones indifferent.

Video: spicy baked mussels in shells

Tender, softest, with a sweet pleasant aftertaste, mussels, due to their low price, are called “oysters for the poor” - a storehouse of minerals and vitamins. These pretty molluscs are rich in phosphorus, iron, zinc, fatty polyunsaturated acids. And in terms of the amount of protein, mussels will not catch up with either fish or beef. Eating properly cooked shellfish strengthens the immune system, normalizes liver function, and improves metabolism. And the presence of vitamin E helps the skin look healthy and radiant.

Dishes from stewed, fried, boiled, smoked mussels are included in the cuisines of many countries. There are hundreds of recipes! Almost 1.5 million tons of this delicious shellfish are eaten every year in the world. Of these, more than half are grown on farms. A way to breed mussels was invented in the 13th century by Irish sailors - they lowered oak tables into the sea, to which nimble individuals were attached with the help of their threads secreted by special glands. Attached to various supports, rocks and to each other, growing together into “druze” is a favorite way of existence for mussels.

Canned, frozen, peeled or shelled clams are sold in any store. Nothing compares in taste or health benefits to fresh, freshly cooked mussels in shells.

Three simple recipes for mussels cooked in shells
Mussels fit for consumption are those whose doors are tightly closed. Individuals whose shells are damaged are also not suitable for use. But during heat treatment, the shells should open slightly, if this did not happen - the mussel is sick, it should be thrown away without regret.

But first, you need to rinse the mussels well, clean them of dirt, hardened pieces of sand, algae, limestone growth. To do this, they are dipped in very cold water for several minutes, and then carefully cleaned with a blunt knife.

Mussels boiled. The easiest way to cook mussels in shells is to boil them. In addition, this option is fast and useful - the mollusk does not lose its healing properties.
List of required ingredients:
- mussels in shells - 2 kg (fresh, well washed);
- salt - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
- juice of 1 lemon;
The cooking process itself is as follows:
- boil 1 liter of water;
- add salt and lemon juice to boiling water;
- carefully lower the mussels into the pan and cover with a lid;
- after 5 minutes, remove from boiling water those mollusks whose shells have opened. You can wait two more minutes. If unopened mussels remain, they should be discarded - the total cooking time should not exceed 7 minutes!
- put the mussels on a dish and immediately serve with cold white wine or beer.
Mussels stewed in sauce. Mussels in shells can be stewed in a little water, wine or sauce. One of the simplest and most popular recipes is mussels stewed in garlic sauce.
Ingredients needed for cooking:
- mussels in shells - 1 kg (fresh, well washed);
- garlic - 5 cloves;
- juice of one lemon;
- a few sprigs of parsley;
- a pinch of black pepper;
- salt;
- butter - 50 gr.;
- cream - ½ tbsp.
Cooking process:
- lower the mussels into a pot of cold water and heat over high heat for several minutes until the doors begin to open (the mussels should not be completely in the water - the shells open from the steam);
- put the mussels in which the shells have opened into the pan, removing the top flap - your mussel will remain lying on the bottom of the shell. Unopened individuals should be discarded;
- add half a glass of water, salt, put butter and heat the contents of the pan for a minute;
- squeeze the garlic, pour in the cream and simmer until the sauce turns into a creamy mass;
- as soon as the sauce thickens, transfer the mussels from the pan to a large dish;
- add pepper, very finely chopped parsley to the sauce and pour over the mussels.
Mussels baked in the oven.
To prepare mussels according to this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- mussels in shells - 1 kg (fresh, well peeled);
- grated tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
- stale bread, grated on a coarse grater - 2 pieces;
- olive oil - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- carnation - 1 pc.;
- salt pepper;
- parsley - 1 branch.
The cooking process consists of the following steps:
- pour 2 cups of water into the pan, put the mussels in it and put on a strong fire;
- as soon as the shells begin to open, quickly transfer the mussels to the dishes prepared in advance, let them cool, and then remove the top flap;
- while the mussels are cooling, finely chop the parsley, rub it with salt, pepper, cloves. Add grated tomatoes, bread crumbs, olive oil and mix well. If the mass seems dry to you, you can dilute it with a few tablespoons of cold water;
- put the shell halves with mussels on a greased baking sheet, put half a teaspoon of the mixture on each;
- bake in a well-heated oven for 10 minutes at a temperature of 190 C;
- it is better to serve it immediately, putting it on a large dish. You can sprinkle with very finely chopped parsley.

Tips:

try boiling mussels in water in half with white wine (1 glass of water, 1 wine) - the mollusk acquires a subtle aroma and taste of wine, which slightly changes the shades of the dish;
if you bought fresh mussels, washed them, then they can be wrapped in a damp kitchen towel and stored for a day in the refrigerator. Or freeze for three months by putting it in a plastic container and adding some water to the cleaned sinks.

Warning
Some people are allergic to shellfish. Mussel meat should not be eaten by people with a bleeding disorder. Stale mussels are easy to get poisoned! The finished dish should be eaten immediately - it can not be stored later, reheated, left "for tomorrow"!

Mussels are a tasty, affordable, healthy product. And the simpler the method of its preparation, the better the result. In Belgium, where mussels are declared the national dish, they are served hot, quickly boiled, in black pots, with fried potatoes, chilled beer or very cold white wine.

Interesting facts about mussels

mussels live in an oval shell, reaching a length of 20 centimeters. You can tell the age of the mussel from the stains on the outside of the shell. Depending on the habitat, the life expectancy of a mussel ranges from 5 to 30 years;
settlements of mollusks sometimes reach gigantic sizes, accumulating in colonies, they form whole heaps of shells, reaching in some cases up to tens of meters in diameter. But on average, 20 kg of mollusks live on one meter of area;
mussels are excellent sea water filtrates. One adult individual per day is able to pass through itself up to 80 liters, removing plant plankton, bacteria, detritus, performing an important function of purifying sea water; here the reason for cases of poisoning by mussels is hidden - sometimes poisonous seaweeds get into their food, which makes the mollusk dangerous to eat;
it has been established that man has been eating mussels since the Neolithic period;
often pearls are born in shells, very small in size and cloudy in color. The largest, up to 5 mm in diameter, were found in the shell of a huge specimen caught in the Feodosiya Bay. In total, there were 133 (!) Stones in the shell;
Mussel Day is held annually in the Belgian town of Yersek. Yersek is the only mussel exchange in the world, considered the unofficial capital of the mussel. On endless tables along the coast, guests eat freshly boiled mussels, picking out their tender light meat with one shell shell from another, washing down with beer and white wine.

Seafood, in particular mussels, is the most valuable and healthy food that people of all ages need as a source of iodine, phosphorus and special protein. However, here a problem arises - few people know how to properly cook mussels in shells and what to do with them after cooking.

To cook or not to cook

Since mussels are most often sold frozen, look at the description on the package. If it says simply "frozen", defrost and cook as raw. We will tell you how to cook mussels in shells.

Ingredients:

mussels large fresh or defrosted - 15-20 pieces;
filtered or bottled water - 1 glass;
cold-pressed oil, odorless olive or sunflower oil - 1/3 cup;
garlic - 2-3 cloves (optional ingredient).

Cooking

To cook mussels, you will need a thick-walled pot or saucepan, you can also use a frying pan with high sides and a thick bottom, but without Teflon. We add water and oil. Do not mix - in the process of heating the liquids will combine and so on. Add finely chopped garlic to the boiled liquid and immediately lay the mussels. Regardless of whether you cook fresh clams or thawed ones, rinse the mussels thoroughly - a lot of dirt, sand and algae residues accumulate in the shells. We put the washed mussels in a colander, and then immediately send them to boil. We cover our container with a lid and every 2 minutes, shake vigorously. If the mussels are cooked, the cooking time is 4 minutes, for raw and thawed - 10 minutes. After that, we choose how to cook mussels in shells further, the cooking recipe may include frying, baking, stewing or adding to salads.

Appetizer for seafood and cheese lovers

Ingredients:

thawed large mussels - 15-18 pieces;
hard "Dutch" or "Russian" cheese - 120-140 g;
medium fat or dense, not watery sour cream - 100 g;
lemon - ¼ pcs.;
garlic - 2 small cloves (optional)

Cooking

If you do not know how best to cook frozen mussels in shells, use this recipe. It's simple, fast, inexpensive and very tasty. We will defrost the mussels and let the moisture drain, after which we will separate the body of the mollusk from the shell, and clean the remaining dense leg with a spoon and throw it away - it is not worth eating. We cut the bodies of mussels into several parts - not finely. Three cheese on the smallest available grater. In a bowl, mix cheese, mussels, crushed garlic and sour cream or mayonnaise. We lay out the resulting mass in shells and send to bake in the oven or grill for 10 minutes. As you might guess, fresh mussels in shells can be cooked in the same way, only we first boil them and open them.

Stewed mussels in Greek style

We have already told you how to cook mussels in shells, and in a pan you can stew peeled clams in an unusually delicious way. However, you can also stew with shells, removing them when eating.

Ingredients:

peeled clams - 2 large handfuls;
shallots - 2 handfuls;
ripe tomatoes, with dense pulp - 3 pcs.;
sweet green pepper - 1 pod;
, preferably cold pressed - 3 tbsp. spoons;
oregano - 1 pinch dried or 1 sprig fresh.

Cooking

We clean and finely chop the onions, cut the pepper into several parts, remove the seeds and cut into thin strips. We scald the tomatoes with boiling water, remove the skin and rub it on a grater or turn it into puree with a blender. We heat the oil well, on it quickly, over high heat, fry the onion and pepper, add tomato puree and reduce the heat. We evaporate the liquid by about half, after which we put the mussels. If they are fresh, no need to cook. If frozen - defrost and dip for a couple of minutes in boiling water to eliminate the presence of bacteria. Simmer the mussels under the lid for 5 minutes, then add the oregano. If desired, you can pour a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, you can squeeze a clove of garlic. Traditionally, these mussels are served topped with finely chopped feta. You can also serve this dish in shells. As you can see, it’s not so difficult to cook delicious mussels in shells.

Mussels are not only a delicacy, but also a very healthy product, which consists of high-quality natural protein, which is equivalent in amino acid content to a chicken egg. Also, the composition of mollusks includes more than 30 microelements and minerals, therefore, in order to preserve the nutritional value of this product, you should learn how to cook it correctly.

However, first, let's take a look at what dishes can be prepared from this valuable product. Due to their very delicate sweet-salty taste, as well as low calorie content, mussels have gained wide popularity in the cuisines of many countries around the world.

Surprisingly tender and tasty meat of these mollusks is great for cooking a wide variety of dishes. Pilaf, salads, stews, soups are prepared from mussels. Mussels are fried in batter, smoked, cooked on a fire, boiled, salted and marinated. They go great with potatoes, pasta, rice, fish, meat, fruits, vegetables and herbs.

We have selected especially for you the simplest tips on how to cook mussels at home:

Fresh shellfish smell only of the sea. If there is an unpleasant odor or any other foreign odors, this means that the product is spoiled. When choosing mollusks in shells, you should pay attention to whether their valves are tightly closed. If you buy frozen peeled mussels, look at their color - it should be light yellow. Also pay attention to whether there are any cracks on the surface of the mollusks, which indicate that these mussels have either already been thawed or stored incorrectly, therefore, not only have they lost their beneficial properties, but can also be harmful to health. It is also important to know that large mussels are an order of magnitude tastier and juicier than their small counterparts.

It is important to know that fresh clams should be cooked on the day they are purchased, in extreme cases, mussels can be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of several days. Before you start cooking shelled mussels, they should be thoroughly washed from sand and other contaminants. If you purchased shellfish in shells, they must be washed very thoroughly, and open shells and shells with cracks should be removed - they are not edible, in principle, just like those that will not open during the cooking process. Then it all depends on your imagination and taste preferences. The main thing is not to overcook the clams (peeled mussels are boiled for about five minutes, and clams in shells - until the shells open), and also do not get carried away with strong sauces and seasonings, otherwise you will kill the delicate taste of the sea. The ideal sauce for ready-made mussels is a mixture of lemon juice, white wine, herbs and garlic.

Frozen clams are just as easy to prepare as fresh ones. To begin with, the mussels should be thawed, and then washed thoroughly. Determining the readiness of clams is also quite easy: peeled frozen mussels are boiled for about seven minutes, and clams in shells - until the valves open. The only difference is that the mussels in the shells must be brought to a boil, and then drained and boiled in new water until the valves open (about 10 minutes).

Mussels should preferably be served hot, as cooled clams lose a significant part of their taste.

You should not cook clams for the future, because due to the high risk of poisoning, this dish is not advised to be heated and stored for a long time.

There is an important nuance in the preparation of this seafood product: despite the fact that juicy mussel meat goes well with almost any food, it is better to serve it solo. To emphasize the taste and at the same time maintain the sophistication of this dish, you can supplement it with lemon, herbs and good white wine.

Enjoy your meal!