Mussels contain a large amount of amino acids necessary for our body. Such as tryptophan, from which our body synthesizes serotonin and melotanin, which we need to happy life without fears, anxieties and depressions.

Mussel meat also contains the essential amino acid methionine. It is not produced by our body, but we need it to lower blood cholesterol, promotes liver function and, like tryptophan, helps fight stress.

In addition, methionine is good medicine with peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.

In addition, mussel meat contains tyrosine, an amino acid that is most loved by lovely ladies who want to lose weight, as it suppresses appetite and reduces the deposition of fat in the body.

Mussel meat contains B vitamins - B1, B2, B6, PP. This group of vitamins also contributes to a calmer measured life without neuroses and related diseases of the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems.

How to cook frozen mussels. How to choose mussels

When buying frozen mussels, you should pay attention to the following:

• First of all, they should be covered with a thin layer of ice glaze without snow slush. This suggests that most likely they were not thawed and not frozen again. And under the ice glaze, they do not oxidize. That is, their pleasant taste does not become the taste of a “rusty” herring.
• Frozen mussels should have no smell or they should smell like a pleasant fishy smell.
• If the mussels are vacuum-packed, then you can make sure that they are not expired by the date of manufacture and storage on the package. Through the packaging you can see and appreciate appearance mussels.
• It is better to take packaged mussels than by weight, as vacuum packaging allows you to keep their taste and edible properties longer.

How to cook frozen mussels. Primary processing stage

• We defrost the mussels by moving them from the freezer to the refrigerator with a temperature of +2 - +5 degrees, where they slowly thaw right in the package.
• Thoroughly rinse thawed mussels in a colander under running cold water, after selecting seaweed, sand, shell fragments and other inedible particles of the sea from the insides.
• In mussels, especially large ones, we remove the intestines. It is easier to remove all the insides including the gills, intestines, stomach, gonads, leaving only the mantle and two muscles connecting the valves. In Southeast Asia, they eat everything, and that's all, it's good for the human body.
• Let the water drain.
• We do steam blanching of mussels, and not in boiling water, since steam blanching allows us to preserve all the valuable properties of mussels and in this case there is less saturation of mussel meat with water, which saves taste qualities mussels. To do this, pour a small amount of water into the pan, bring to a boil, add half an average onion head, sweet peas, two medium bay leaves to the boiling water. Let the marinade simmer for 5 minutes.
• Put the prepared mussels in a single layer on the device for steaming food and lower them into the pan and close the lid. Blanch for 15-20 minutes.
• Take the blanched mussels out of the pan. Cool down at room temperature.

How to cook frozen mussels. Preparing mussels for salads

• We cut the cooled mussels into medium pieces for frying in sunflower oil with onions.
• While chopping mussels, to improve their taste, and so that the grains of sand do not crunch on your teeth, you can once again carefully clean their insides from sand, silt, mud and other particles with tweezers and rinse the already chopped ones thoroughly under running cold water. Although in Japan, China and Korea, for the treatment of intestinal dysbacteriosis, the insides of mussels are used, subjected to spontaneous enzymatic processing due to the enzymes they contain (Professor L. L. Logunov).
• Pour into hot skillet sunflower oil and heat it up.
• Spread into boiling oil finely chopped onion. Bring it to a transparent state, stirring occasionally.
• Put the chopped mussel meat on the pan. Lightly fry it for 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula.
• Remove the pan from the stove and cool directly in the pan.
• We use cooked mussel meat for preparing various salads and other delicious and healthy dishes.

Mussel meat salad

Ingredients:

• Mussels boiled-frozen - 150 Grams
• Marinated seaweed - 100 grams
• Onion - 0.5 Pieces
• Mayonnaise - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - 1-2 pinch

Servings: 1

How to cook Mussel Meat Salad

Prepare salad ingredients. Put water for cooking mussels on the stove to boil. Put chopped and scalded onions in a salad bowl, do not forget to squeeze it well from moisture. Add chopped pickled cabbage. Throw the mussels into boiling water and boil for 1 minute, they have already been boiled, but this is necessary for quick defrosting. Throw them on a sieve and add to the salad bowl. Season the salad with a pinch of salt and a spoonful of mayonnaise. He's ready!

Mussels on skewers: a quick barbecue in a pan

Mussels on skewers - recipe

Ingredients

• Mussels (boiled and frozen) - 350 g.
• Cucumbers - 3 pcs.
• Eggs - 2 pcs.
• Cheese - 300 g.
• Mayonnaise - 200 g.
• Salt - to taste.

Cooking method

• Step 1 First make baskets, because. Before laying out the salad, they should harden well. Grease the bottom of the plate with butter, grate a little cheese on top, put a circle with a diameter of 10-12 cm out of it. Put the plate in the microwave for 20 seconds to melt the cheese. Remove and let cool slightly, then carefully remove the cheese circle from the plate and place on an inverted glass. Place in refrigerator until completely cool. Do the same with the rest of the cheese.
• Step 2 Pour boiling water over mussels, drain water. Then fry over high heat with salt and pepper for 3-4 minutes.
• Step 3 Cucumbers cut into strips.
• Step 4 Boil the eggs in a steep, cool, peel and finely chop.
• Step 5 Mix mussels, cucumbers, eggs, salt and season with mayonnaise. Place in refrigerator to cool.
• Step 6 Before serving, arrange the salad in baskets.

Ingredients

• Eggplant - 1 pc.
• Bulb - 1 pc.
• bell pepper- 1 PC.
• Tomato - 2 pcs.
• Canned mussels - 150 g.
• Lime or lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• Vegetable oil - to taste
• Salt, pepper, herbs - to taste.

Cooking method

• Step 1 Chop the onion into half rings, fry on vegetable oil, cool.
• Step 2 Cut eggplant into thin slices, fry in vegetable oil until golden brown, put on a napkin to drain excess oil.
• Step 3 Bulgarian pepper cut into slices. It can also be lightly fried, or left fresh.
• Step 4 Cut the tomatoes into slices.
• Step 5 Combine prepared products, salt, pepper, add mussels and dressing from chopped garlic, lime or lemon juice and vegetable oil.
• Step 6 Mix everything, put on a plate and decorate with herbs.
• Step 7 You can also use young zucchini.

Salad "Sea of ​​taste"

Sea of ​​Taste Salad Ingredients

• Mussels - 1 jar.
• Avocado - 1 pc.
• Fresh cucumber - 1 pc.
• Pear medium, green - 1 pc.
• Quail eggs - 10 pcs.
• Any sauce.
• Greenery
• Salt, pepper - to taste.

Cooking method

• Step 1
• Step 2 Peel the pear and core, then cut into cubes.
• Step 3 Peel fresh cucumber and cut into cubes.
• Step 4 Finely chop the greens. Open a jar of mussels and drain the oil.
• Step 5 Mix everything.
• Step 6 Cook quail eggs cool, cool, peel.
• Step 7 Serve separately - salad..., eggs..., sauce.
• Step 8 Dip the egg in the sauce, fork the salad and enjoy.

Ingredients

• Long grain rice - 150 g.
• Frozen mussels - 600 g.
• Cherry tomatoes - 8 pcs.
• Egg - 2 pcs.
• White wine vinegar - 2 tbsp.
• Olive oil - 6 tbsp
• Milk - 250 ml.
• Parsley - 4 sprigs
• Bay leaf - 1 pc.
• Salt, peppercorns and ground black pepper - to taste.

Cooking method

• Step 1 Defrost mussels. Boil milk in a saucepan, put mussels, Bay leaf, salt and peppercorns. Boil 4 min. Transfer the mussels to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Step 2 Boil rice in salted water until cooked, let cool, then mix with mussels.
• Step 3 Hard boil eggs, cool, peel and cut into slices.
• Step 4 Cut the tomatoes into slices.
• Step 5 Rinse the parsley and chop coarsely.
• Step 6 Beat oil, vinegar, salt and ground pepper, pour into rice with mussels.
• Step 7 Arrange the salad on serving plates, garnish with tomatoes, eggs and herbs.

Ingredients

• Squids - 500 g.
• Mussels - 500 g.
• Greens - parsley, cilantro, lettuce.
• Garlic - 2 cloves.
• Lemon juice - 1-2 tsp
• Hot pepper - 1 pc.
• Olive oil - 1-2 tbsp.
• Salt - to taste.

Cooking method

• Step 1 In boiling salted water (you can add bay leaf, black peppercorns, lemon juice) for 2-3 minutes, boil the squid rings and mussels, put them in a colander, let the excess liquid drain, cool.
• Step 2 Finely chop the parsley, cut the bitter pepper into rings, peel the garlic and crush it with a knife blade
• Step 3 Mix lemon juice, oil, garlic, parsley, salt, hot pepper in a container, mix, let the sauce brew (20 minutes), then remove the garlic from the sauce.
• Step 4 Season seafood, cover, refrigerate for at least 1 hour, sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro before serving (this is to taste and desire). Arrange lettuce on lettuce leaves.

Ingredients

• Colored pasta - 300 g.
• Canned mussels - 1 can.
• Bulgarian pepper - 2 pcs.
• Cucumbers - 1 pc.
• Salt - to taste.

Cooking method

• Step 1 Boil pasta in salted water until tender.
• Step 2 Cucumber cut into strips.
• Step 3 Remove the seeds from the bell pepper, remove the stem and cut into cubes.
• Step 4 Combine everything and pour the mussels in oil. Mix everything.
• Step 5 Delicious both hot and cold.

Ingredients

• Mussels - 400 g.
• Mayonnaise - 2 tbsp.
• Onion - 0.5 pcs.
• Pickled cucumber - 0.5 pcs.
• Egg (proteins) - 1 pc.
• Tomato puree - 1 tsp
• Mustard - 0.5 tsp
• Broth (from mussels) - 60 ml.
• Sugar - to taste.
• Green salad - 1-2 leaves.
• Salt, black pepper - to taste.
• fresh greens parsley - a bunch.

Cooking method

• Step 1 Boil mussels for about 5-6 minutes. Then remove the mussel meat from the shells, remove the roots, wash.
• Step 2 Boil the egg in a steep, cool, separate the protein from the yolks. Use only protein, which is finely chopped.
• Step 3 Finely chop the onion.
• Step 4 Salted cucumbers are also finely chopped.
• Step 5 Mix mussel meat with mayonnaise, pickles, onions and proteins.
• Step 6 Dilute the mixture with mussel broth and tomato puree and season with black pepper, mustard and a pinch of sugar.
• Step 7 Arrange the salad in the form of an ellipse and garnish with lettuce leaves and parsley sprigs.

Salad "Sea song"

Ingredients

• Mussels - 500-800 g.
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Sunflower oil - 2-3 tbsp.
• Salt, ground black pepper - to taste.

Cooking method

• Step 1 Defrost the mussels (they are already peeled), fry in a pan to get rid of unnecessary water.
• Step 2 Onion thinly cut into half rings.
• Step 3 Mix mussels with onions, salt, pepper and pour over unrefined sunflower oil.

Ingredients

• Chinese noodles - 300 g.
• Avocado - 1 pc.
• Shrimps - 200 g.
• Sea cocktail - 500 g.
• Pickled mussels - 250 g.
• Red onion - 1 pc.
• Fresh cucumber - 1 pc.
• Carrot - 1 pc.
• Garlic - 1-2 cloves.
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt, pepper - to taste.

Cooking method

• Step 1 Peel carrots and cucumbers and cut into thin slices.
• Step 2 Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, peel and cut into cubes.
• Step 3 Peel and cut the red onion into thin slices from the base of the onion to the root (if desired, you can marinate in a mixture of sugar and vinegar).
• Step 4 Boil seafood or, if they are ready, drain the marinade, pour over ice cream with boiling water and put it in a colander.
• Step 5 Mix everything, grate garlic there, season with seafood marinade or olive oil.
• Step 6 Now boil the Chinese noodles in salted water until cooked and mix with the prepared mixture. Salt to taste, pepper.
• Step 7 Put in a beautiful salad bowl and serve!

Exotic fish dish: mussels in tomato sauce with parsley

Mussels are a delicious seafood delicacy with a delicate and mild taste, which cooks emphasize with the help of various spices and herbs. One of the most popular recipes is cooking mussels in tomato sauce with parsley. It is served with a side dish of rice and a glass of good white wine.

Mussels are not only gastronomic, but also dietary value. They can be eaten boiled, fried, pickled. They are perfect for preparing gourmet dishes.

Mussels go on sale mainly in frozen form, since fresh clams have a very short shelf life. When choosing seafood in the market or in a store, it is better to give preference to peeled mussels, as they are very convenient to cook.

boiled mussels

Raw-frozen mussels can be boiled in salted water.

To do this, they must be thawed in the air and immersed in a pan of boiling salted water.

Cooking time should be 5-7 minutes. If you cook the product longer, the meat will become tough and tasteless.

fried mussels

For cooking fried mussels 0.5 kg of peeled seafood should be thawed and washed under running water, then put in a colander to drain excess moisture.

2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped.

In a frying pan, heat the vegetable oil, fry the chopped onion on it until golden brown, then add the mussels to the onion, salt, pepper and fry with constant stirring for 7 minutes.

After frying, you need to remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid for 5-10 minutes so that the dish is steamed.

Pickled mussels

To prepare pickled mussels, you will need 0.5 kg of peeled seafood, half a glass of water, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, allspice, coriander grains, salt to taste.

All ingredients, except for mussels, must be placed in a saucepan and brought to a boil, then remove the saucepan from heat and cool the marinade.

Thawed peeled mussels should be placed in a glass container, pour marinade and cover.

Within 2-3 hours delicious delicacy he'll be ready.

Baked mussels

To prepare baked mussels with cheese sauce you will need:

0.5 kg of seafood,

100 grams of hard cheese,

1 melted cheese

50 grams of butter,

200 ml cream

2 cloves of garlic

salt, spices to taste.

How to cook:

Peeled mussels should be thawed and boiled in salted water for 2 minutes.

Processed cheese must be mixed with butter and cream using a blender.

Add salt and spices to the mixture.

Mussels should be put in a baking dish and pour the resulting sauce.

Top with coarsely grated cheese.

Bake the dish in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mussels in white wine

Peeled mussels can be very tasty stewed in white wine.

In a hot deep frying pan, you need to put a piece of butter and fry the peeled chopped onion on it.

After that, you need to pour the fried foods with 250 ml of white table wine, add chopped parsley, salt, spices to taste and simmer under a closed lid for 10-15 minutes on the smallest fire.

When serving, put the seafood on portioned plates and pour over the dish with the sauce formed during stewing.

Seafood is very healthy and nutritious. By eating them 2-3 times a week, a person maintains the desired balance of iodine in the body, which is so necessary in winter time of the year. Among other edible inhabitants of the sea, mussels can be distinguished, which are in no way inferior to expensive mollusks in terms of protein and vitamins. And they also contain a minimum amount of calories (50kkl per 100g of product), which will indescribably please people who are watching their weight. From mussels, you can cook a lot of different dishes from simple snacks to complex dishes.

How to choose frozen mussels

If you do not live near the sea, then most often you will find mussels for sale in a supermarket, where they will be frozen. Frozen mussels are either peeled or in the shell, they are sold either in a package or by weight.

When buying, be sure to consider the contents and the packaging itself if you take a packaged product. There should be no excess snow or ice inside, and the mussels themselves should be crumbly. If the clams stick together inside the package, this indicates that the product has already been subjected to the defrosting-freezing process, and possibly more than once. It is not considered usable.

Peeled frozen mussels are often sold already lightly cooked, so pay attention to the color. If it is earthy gray, avoid such mussels.

Buying unpeeled clams is always a risky business, as you cannot guess the freshness of the product. When choosing, be guided by the quality of the shells, they should not have chips and cracks.

Defrost Rules

Another option is to dip frozen mussels in cold salted water. This method will help save time.

Never use a microwave oven to thaw shellfish or hot water, this will only worsen their taste and beneficial features.

Also do not leave the product under direct sunbeams for a long time, especially summer time. Due great content squirrel and high temperature the product can quickly deteriorate and acquire an unpleasant odor.

Cooking methods

Cooking mussels

Mussels, which were sold in a purified form by weight, can not be thawed first, but boiled immediately. To do this, you will need a pot of water and salt. You should not take too much water, 3-4 glasses of water and 2 tablespoons of salt are enough for 1 kilogram of mussels.

We put the water to boil, and wash the mussels under running cool water. After the water boils, throw in the clams and cook for no longer than 5 minutes to maintain softness.

If you think that water and salt are too boring and you want to give the mussels a special taste, remove some of the water and pour in white instead. dry wine or soy sauce. You can also add aromatic herbs to the broth and put half a lemon or lime.

Boiled mussels are used in various dishes, but most often in cold appetizers, canapes or salads. And the broth can be made into an interesting soup, or boiled down and thickened to make a sauce that can be used as a salad dressing or main fish dish.

Delicious recipe: appetizer of boiled mussels

• mussels - 300 gr;
• onion - 1 large head;
• salt, red and black pepper and 1 teaspoon of sugar;
• odorless vegetable oil - 1 dl;
• lemon juice or wine vinegar.

Cut the onion into thin half rings and marinate in a mixture of black pepper sugar salt and lemon juice or vinegar. First we take 2 tablespoons, if vinegar, then 2 teaspoons. We leave for an hour and a half.

Mix boiled and cooled mussels with pickled onions, season with red pepper or thinly sliced ​​fresh chili. Add salt to taste and vegetable oil. Mix and seal in a container with a lid. Put in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

Fried and stewed mussels

Warm salads or hot main courses usually use fried or stewed mussels. They are fried in vegetable oil or vegetable-creamy oil, giving it flavor with garlic sliced ​​into slices.

Mussels are fried and stewed with vegetables, cereals and sauces. Clams in the sink are cooked in a pan with water and wine. Under the influence of steam, they should open. Those shells that have not opened will have to be thrown away.

To stew in the sauce, you can use any dressing, broth, wine, water, cream or tomato juice. Depending on the sauce, do not forget to add spices that will improve the taste of the dish.

A simple and delicious recipe for fried mussels

• mussels - 500 grams;
• green beans - 300 grams;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• sweet large paprika - 1-2 pcs.;
• salt, pepper, vegetable oil, soy or oyster sauce and honey.

1. Peppers and carrots cut into strips and fry in vegetable oil, add green beans.
2. When the vegetables are half cooked, you can add the mussels, peeled or in their skins.
3. Pour in the dressing, which consists of soy sauce (5 tablespoons) and honey (0.5 tablespoons).
4. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve as an independent dish or with rice garnish.

Baked mussels

Baked mussels in shells can rightfully be considered a gourmet dish. It looks presentable, has no less bright taste, and guests who come will appreciate it. Shelled clams are also delicious baked as a julienne or topping on pizza, casserole or pie.

Mussels are baked, as a rule, already pre-boiled. Shells can be sprinkled with cheese and be sure to pour a drop of lemon juice. Almost any sauce is suitable for baked mussels.

Clam julienne

• mussels - 500 grams;
• onion - 2 heads;
• cream or sour cream 20%;
• hard cheese.

1. Finely chop the onion and fry until translucent.
2. Add boiled mussels and pour in a glass of cream or half a glass of sour cream.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Simmer the mussels over low heat for no more than 3 minutes.
5. Divide the mixture between cocotte makers or into one large tin. Sprinkle thickly with grated hard cheese and send to an oven preheated to 160-180 degrees.
6. Bake until cheese is golden brown.
7. Serve hot.

Be sure to include mussels in your diet and make it even tastier, more varied and healthier!

Once upon a time, mussels were thought to be the food of poor people, as they cost less than their "sisters" oysters, but in our times it is a highly valued delicacy. Many different dishes are made from this seafood - you can try them in restaurants or cook them yourself at home. In every mall, you should be able to find fresh or frozen mussels without any problems.

A little information

Mussels, like oysters, belong to the bivalve family. They are especially common in the shallow coastal waters of the ocean, where these mollusks grow attached to rocks. Necessary condition for the life of mussels - clean and not stagnant water. Nowadays, mussels are grown on special "farms". This, of course, does not look like a traditional farm: poles are dug in the coastal zone of the sea, to which ropes are tied. It is on these ropes, at a depth of 2-5 meters, that mussels grow. But as mentioned above, you can’t dig these pillars anywhere - mussels need clean, not stagnant water, in which there is a lot of plankton, which mussels feed on by filtering water.

This interesting and not complicated process, according to some sources, was invented by Irish sailors in 1234, according to others, by the French. The people involved in the artificial cultivation of mussels are not located in any one region - they are scattered all over the world. True, most of the mussels are grown by the Spaniards, and New Zealand also exports a large amount of this seafood. Currently, about 1.4 million tons of mussels are grown worldwide per year.

For the mussels to reach right size and have become suitable for food consumption, they must grow for about 18 months, so the process is not very fast. Mussel shells are different colors- from dark blue to golden green. But on special farms, only dark blue or black mussels are usually grown, as they have a delicate taste, they are moderately salty and sweet. The best mussels are harvested from mid-June to the end of February, and those harvested in April and May are not fat enough and therefore not as tasty.

Useful properties of mussels

Mussels are not only famous for their delicate taste, but also for their beneficial substances. They contain a lot of proteins, mineral salts, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C. According to nutritionists, there are even more proteins in mussel meat than in veal or fish meat. In addition, despite the fact that there are so many different useful substances, it is low in calories, so those who follow the lines of their body can also enjoy these seafood. Mussel meat, as a dietary product, is recommended for those who complain of atherosclerosis, diabetes, anemia, and the elderly.

Mussels are most often sold fresh or processed—peeled, boiled, frozen, or canned. If you bought live, unpeeled mussels, first wash them thoroughly in running water, clean the shells of adhering dirt, remnants of aquatic plants, etc. with a sharp knife. After all, mussels grow for 18 months and during this time the shells are covered with sand and silt. It will be unpleasant, having cooked this delicacy, to feel the creak of sand on your teeth. By the way, you can also use toothbrush. It is also necessary to tear off the so-called "beards" located at the junction of the valves.

Another important point- be sure to check if the mussels are alive. It is done in this way. We must immerse the mussels in cold water and hold for 20 minutes. Good, that is, live, mussels should drown. If they float on the surface, then something is wrong with them, it is better to throw them away. Another feature is that good mussels should have closed shells. If the shells are covered, you can knock on them, and they should immediately close. If they do not close, these mussels can also be safely thrown away. After all the mussels are washed and selected, you can start cooking them. By the way, seafood does not like to wait for a long time, they should be cooked as quickly as possible while they are fresh (best of all - on the day of purchase). You can still eat them the next day, but the day after tomorrow you will have to throw them away. Until the moment of cooking, mussels should be kept in the refrigerator.

Mussels are served in different ways. They can be peeled (without shells) - only meat is served, especially if the mussels are combined with other products or cooked as a sauce. It is very popular to serve mussels as they are, without changes - in shells. Then everyone takes them with their hands, with one hand holds the shell, and with the other hand, with the help of a fork, scoops out the meat. Mussels in shells are also added to soups - they improve the taste of the broth.

Cooking mussels is easy and simple. The most popular way is to stew in water or white wine with spices (garlic, lemon, parsley, bay leaf). It is not necessary to pour a lot of water or wine into the pan, only to the very bottom, because there is quite a lot of water in the shells, which is released during cooking. Mussels do not cook for a long time - over high heat, only a couple of minutes are enough for the shells to open (this means that the mussels are ready). By the way, if some shells did not open during cooking, they should not be eaten either.

Fresh mussels, like oysters, can be eaten unboiled by adding lemon juice. But it is better to leave this way of eating this marvelous seafood to gourmets, we still recommend cooking them. Or cook on the grill. Also very tasty. The principle is the same - fry until the shells open.

If you bought frozen mussels, then all you need to do is thaw them at room temperature or in warm water, rinse in running water and that's it. After that, you can prepare your meal. Most likely, your frozen mussels will already be cooked, so nothing needs to be done.

Combinations with other products

Mussels are often used to make various soups, the basis of which can be a broth from these mollusks. When you are going to cook snacks, salads or main dishes from mussels, some chefs recommend holding them for 15-20 minutes in a closed saucepan, into which you need to pour some water and milk along with chopped onions, allspice and bay leaf. Professional chefs rejoice that the meat of these seafood goes well with other products, vegetables, and non-fat mayonnaise.

Frying mussels with various additives, such as vegetables, various cereals - rice, couscous, seasonings, tomato sauce etc. you can cook a variety of dishes - from the simplest to the most intricate. For example, the Spaniards, when preparing their famous paella, very rarely do without mussels. Sometimes, already in the finished dish, mussels are served with shells - adding more exotic to the dish in this way, and sometimes only the meat itself is used.

A couple more interesting facts:

• 100 grams of mussels contain 9.48 mg of proteins. More than veal or fish meat.
• Mussels have 51.42 calories per 100 grams.
• From 1 kilogram of mussels you will get 180 grams of pure meat.

And now we offer you a couple of great mussel recipes that you can easily use at home.

Ingredients:

• Pack of spaghetti
• 0.5 kg fresh mussels
• Glass of dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 garlic cloves
• A spoonful of pesto sauce with basil
• Spoon of chopped greens
• Jar of canned tomatoes
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• A handful of grated parmesan.

It is very important that the mussels are fresh. As already mentioned in this article, all shells should be closed, and if they are open, they should close immediately after you tap them. Put the already peeled and washed mussels into a saucepan with wine (as mentioned above).

Close the pan and keep it on fire for a while until the mussel shells open. After that, remove the mussels from the pan, and leave the mussel juice that stood out during heating and heat it up until it thickens. Then pour this liquid into a bowl and mix with pesto sauce, grated Parmesan, chopped garlic and herbs to make a thick mass.

Arrange the boiled spaghetti in heat-resistant bowls, top with a spoonful of butter and canned tomatoes, along with mussel shells. Inside each shell, add the thick mass that we prepared before, and put the whole bowl in a hot oven for a couple of minutes. Serve with lemon.

You can, of course, cook pasta with mussels without shells, use only meat, as in this video. Bon appetit!

Another pasta option or how to cook frozen and peeled mussels

You probably noticed that this entire article and our first recipe are devoted to cooking live mussels, but many do not have the opportunity to purchase live seafood and they have a question, how to cook frozen mussels? Everything is extremely simple. We offer you an excellent pasta recipe.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti or any other pasta of your choice
• About 200 grams of frozen and peeled mussels
• 200 grams of sweet cream
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Small piece of butter
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Ground pepper
• Thyme

We take spaghetti or other pasta of your choice and cook in salt water. While the pasta is cooking, wash the pre-thawed mussels, dry them and fry them in oil with garlic juice. When the pasta is cooked, add them to the pan to the mussels, pour everything with cream, sprinkle with thyme and add soy sauce. Simmer the whole mass over low heat until the cream begins to thicken. Taste for enough seasoning and sprinkle with pepper before serving. That's all. Bon appetit!

Ingredients (for 2 people):

• 1.5 kilograms of fresh mussels
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 glass of white wine
• A can of canned tomatoes in their own juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Again, the mussels must be cleaned and washed. How to do this, we have already described above. Take a deep saucepan with a thick bottom and fry the minced garlic in it in olive oil. After that, add canned tomatoes, paprika, and stew it all for a couple of minutes. Then add wine, pepper and simmer for a couple more minutes. When the sauce begins to thicken, stack the cleaned mussels, cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes until the mussel shells open.

When the mussels are ready, put them on a plate. As for the sauce, if it remains liquid (depending on how much liquid was in the mussels), you can boil off the water over high heat until the sauce becomes thick. By the way, we recommend trying the sauce and deciding whether to add salt to it, as salt is often enough in the liquid that the mussels secrete. Pour the mussels with the prepared sauce and serve with a slice of lemon or a French loaf.

For two servings you will need:

• 1 kg fresh or frozen mussels
• 3 garlic cloves
• Half an onion
• 1 celery root
• half a pepper
• 1 tomato
• 60 grams of butter
• 150 ml dry white wine
• Juice from half a lemon
• Salt, pepper, chili pepper
• french loaf

Cooking time is half an hour.

First, prepare fresh vegetables. Garlic, onion, fresh pepper, celery and tomato cut into as small cubes as possible. Before cutting the garlic, crush it with a knife - this way you get a stronger flavor.

Roast the prepared vegetables in a saucepan. To make it tastier, we use for frying butter. When it melts, add the chopped vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you like spicy, we recommend adding a little chili pepper.

When the vegetables soften, pour white wine and squeeze the juice from half a lemon. As the sauce simmers, the alcohol evaporates and only the flavor of the wine remains.

In the end, put the thawed mussels in the pan and simmer a little more until the water that is released from the mussels evaporates and the vegetables soften, but the vegetables do not fall apart.

If using fresh mussels, simmer until the mussels open and then another 5-6 minutes. If your mussels are frozen, then you need to simmer for a total of 5 minutes. The most important thing is not to simmer for too long, as the mussels will begin to fall from the shells.

We put the cooked mussels in a bowl or deep plate and pour over the sauce of wine and vegetables. You can dip a French loaf in it.

Parsley is very suitable for decoration, but if it is not available, you can also use it. green onion or other greens. Chilled white wine goes well with this dish.

Not everyone knows how to cook frozen mussels without a shell.

You need to know the correct technology for cooking mussel dishes in order to get a really tasty exotic delicacy.

A delicacy of these seafood will perfectly complement any dish with its taste. Salads, soups, pilaf are prepared from them. Can be served with various sauces which will only improve their taste.

Selection of quality shellfish

Mussels are bivalves that live in both salt and fresh waters. In cooking, they are recognized as a real delicacy. To get a tasty dish, they need to be properly cleaned.

To prepare a tasty and healthy dish, mussels must be fresh and High Quality. Tips for choosing a good product:

Useful properties of mussels

Mussels are strong antioxidants and are a natural aphrodisiac. They strengthen the immune system, contain polyunsaturated fatty acids that affect visual acuity and brain activity, vitamins, trace elements, a lot of zinc, a large amount of amino acids that the human body needs. For example, tryptophan, which promotes the production of the hormone of joy.

The protein of these shellfish surpasses meat and fish proteins in methionine content(not synthesized in the body, can only be obtained from food), tryptophan, keratin. Also, eating mussels has a beneficial effect on the health of nails, hair and skin.

Mussels are great for overweight people, as have a low calorie content(100 kcal per 1 kg of product). They high in protein and virtually no fat and therefore, they do not contain harmful cholesterol. Also they rich in phosphatides which have a positive effect on liver function. Keratin reduces appetite, promotes the production of melanin, and also improves the functioning of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and pituitary gland.

Seafood Cleaning Rules

In the process of cooking seafood, you need to know how to clean mussels frozen without a shell correctly in order to avoid unpleasant taste sensations or even poisoning. It is imperative to defrost them. To do this, remove the clams from the bag, put in a deep container and refrigerate. After the ice has completely melted, they must be put in a colander, rinsed thoroughly under high pressure of cold water to get rid of the sand.

These seafood are often purchased in shells. This raises the question of how to properly clean mussels. Make it easy. First you need to defrost the product by putting it in cold water, wash it thoroughly with a brush. Then the shells should be boiled for 15 minutes, cool and remove the meat from the opened flaps. Discard unopened shells.

In order to save money and time, it is better to buy already peeled mussels. In shells come across spoiled mollusks, unsuitable for consumption.

After the mussels are washed, they should be completely dried by shaking in a colander, or laid out on paper towels. It is very important to know that open shells or shells with damaged shells should not be eaten.

Recipes for cooking at home

This type of seafood is cooked different ways: in the microwave, multicooker, on the stove. They are fried, baked, boiled and marinated. Heat treatment does not exceed 3-5 minutes. To get rid of the fishy smell, sprinkle the product with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Fried clams with onions and garlic

This appetizer can be served with a side dish or as a separate dish. Ingredients:

• 800 g mussels;
• 2 onions;
• 70 g butter;
• a few cloves of garlic;
• black pepper and salt to taste.

Heat the saucepan, put the butter, then put the seafood. Then add chopped onion and mix thoroughly. When this mixture is fried, it needs to be peppered, salted and put grated garlic. All this must be mixed well, then removed from heat, cover and leave for 3 minutes.

Recipe in Belgian

Ingredients:

• 0.7 l of white wine;
• Provence herbs (optional)
• 400 g shellfish.

For sauce:

• half a liter of low-fat cream;
• 1 st. l. Dijon mustard;
• a couple of leeks;
• 200 g of blue cheese with mold;
• white pepper.

Pour wine into a saucepan, put on a slow fire. Let it boil for about a minute. Next, add the Provence herbs and mussels. Simmer over low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, then drain in a colander.

To prepare the sauce, you need to heat the cream in a small bowl, adding mustard and finely chopped onions to them. Cut the cheese into small cubes and add to the sauce. Then season everything with white pepper and cook until thick sour cream.

Cooking in a multicooker

Ingredients:

• a pound of peeled mussels;
• 200 ml low-fat cream;
• 2 tomatoes;
• 100 ml of olive oil;
• spices, salt, pepper, garlic and herbs to taste.

Put seafood in a multicooker bowl, pour olive oil and fry for 10 minutes in the "Baking" mode. Then add chopped tomatoes, whipped cream, spices, salt and herbs. Cook on the same program for another ten minutes. When the excess water has evaporated, and the clams acquire a creamy tomato flavor, add finely grated garlic and immediately arrange on plates. Serve with garnish only.

Korean Recipe

For cooking you will need:

• half a kilo of shellfish;
• 3 onion heads;
• 50 ml soy sauce;
• juice of 1 lime;
• spices: red and black pepper, coriander, nutmeg;
• 1 st. l. honey.

Boil prepared mussels for five minutes, drain in a colander. Next, cut the onion into half rings, salt and sprinkle with lime juice and leave to marinate. Then add nutmeg on the tip of a knife to the soy sauce, and other spices to taste. Mix lime juice with honey and heat well. Then combine the onions, clams and honey sauce. Sprinkle everything with red pepper, mix and send to the refrigerator. There is cold.

Snack for beer

It is prepared very easily and quickly.

Required:

• 100 g butter;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• half a kilo of mussels;
• 200 g cheese.

Heat the butter in a frying pan, put the chopped garlic in it and fry a little. Then remove the garlic with a slotted spoon. Put seafood in oil, pepper, salt and fry over high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Add grated cheese, mix and bring to readiness for a minute.

Pilaf with mussels

Required Ingredients:

• 700 g of seafood;
• 1 tsp tomato paste;
• a glass of rice;
• 40 g butter;
• 1 pc. carrots and onions;
• pepper, salt, bay leaf.

Shellfish should be boiled in salted water (do not drain the water after cooking). Fry chopped carrots and finely chopped onions in oil. Then add rice there and fry it together with vegetables. When the onion is fried until golden brown, add two glasses of water to the container where the seafood was cooked, tomato paste, and spices. Cook over medium heat. When the rice is almost done, add the mussels.

Seafood soup

To prepare the soup you will need:

• 600 g mussels;
• 150 g of haddock fillet and sea bass, crab meat, sweet pepper;
• 0.5 l of white wine and meat broth;
• 2 onion heads;
• black peppercorns;
• 5 st. l. oils (preferably olive);
• Bay leaf;
• thyme.

Boil the mussels for four minutes in a small amount of salted water and drain in a colander. Cut the fish into pieces, and the onion into cubes, it must be stewed in oil. Further Bell pepper cut into strips, send to the onion and simmer for a couple of minutes. Then pour in the broth, put the parsley and peppercorns, cook for five minutes.

After that, you should boil the wine, put the fish in it and boil for three minutes. Then lay out the meat of crabs and mussels, heat and season. Pour the soup into bowls, garnish with thyme and shellfish.

From the many recipes for cooking seafood, everyone will find something for themselves. In order to enjoy a wonderful dish of mussels, you need to learn how to clean and cook them. This will allow you to introduce novelty into your diet and feel all the beneficial properties of shellfish.

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