How to cook mussels. How to cook frozen mussels? How to cook mussels

Not everyone knows how to cook frozen and peeled mussels. Recipes for dishes with shellfish are easy to find in books and on the Internet, but if you are preparing them for the first time, you may spoil the delicacy. Without knowing the nuances, in inept hands, beautiful juicy and aromatic mussels turn into foul-smelling and tough pieces of meat. How to surprise your guests with a healthy seafood dish prepared according to all the rules? Health Popular will share some interesting frozen food recipes, so stay tuned.

Product selection

So, you have decided to treat your loved ones to seafood. First, listen to advice about choosing frozen shellfish at the store.

1. Buy large mussels. To do this, pay attention to the labeling, which indicates the ratio of the number of shellfish per kilogram of product. On the package it looks something like this - 42/1 or 54/1. The first number is the number of mussels per kilogram. The smaller it is, the larger the mollusks.

3. A quality product should not be defrosted multiple times. If the clams are a lump of ice, choose a different package.

Defrosting

Since mussels are sold frozen, they need to be thawed before cooking. How to do this correctly? Clams should melt slowly, so they should not be placed in warm water to speed up the process. The product is transferred from the freezer to the refrigerator and kept there until completely defrosted. Now we will introduce you to the rules for cooking mussels, the observance of which will help you end up with soft, juicy and tasty shellfish meat.

How to cook peeled mussels at home?

Cooking tips

Please note - peeled frozen mussels are those that are removed from the shells, but their meat may still have “beards”. This part of the mollusk serves to attach to the shell; it is inedible. Before preparing seafood dishes, make sure that the beards are removed. The shellfish must be thoroughly washed by placing them in a colander and turning on high water pressure. This measure will get rid of grains of sand that sometimes remain in the meat. The most important thing to know about cooking mussels is that the longer they are cooked, the tougher they become. Like squid, these creatures are made of protein, which becomes tough when cooked or stewed for a long time. To maintain softness and juiciness, it is recommended to cook the mussels for no more than 3 minutes. To eliminate the unpleasant odor of shellfish, treat them with lemon juice before cooking. Once you get to know this product better, you will probably want to know the recipes for its preparation.

Homemade mussel recipes

Mussels are prepared in different ways - they are fried, boiled, stewed, baked, pickled. We will share with you recipes that do not have complex technology, but you will undoubtedly like the ready-made dishes.

Let's prepare peeled fried mussels with onions and spices

Let's prepare a set of products - 800 grams of peeled frozen shellfish, a large onion, 3 cloves of garlic, ground red pepper (a pinch), ground black pepper, salt, 60 grams of butter.

Thaw seafood, wash, dry, mix with lemon juice. After 5 minutes, dry the meat again with a napkin. Cut the onion into rings, preferably thinly. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion there for frying. As soon as the rings change color to golden, add the mussels. Fry them, stirring occasionally, over high heat for 5 minutes. At the end, add garlic, passed through a press, spices, and salt. You can serve this nutritious and tasty dish with any vegetables or just like that.

Homemade marinated mussels

Do you want to surprise your guests with marinated seafood? Nothing could be simpler. And you won’t waste much time! Prepare 400 grams of shellfish (peeled), 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and vegetable oil, and a spoonful of vinegar. For spices, take garlic (3-4 cloves), a spoonful of a mixture of peppers, 3 bay leaves, half a teaspoon of salt, a spoonful of sugar and a few sprigs of fresh aromatic parsley.

After defrosting and washing the seafood, place them in boiling water for a minute and drain in a colander. Let's prepare the marinade. In a small enamel pan we put everything according to the list, except vinegar. Cut the garlic into slices. Pour 150 ml of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the marinade cool. When it becomes warm, add vinegar and stir. Pour the aromatic liquid over the clams and leave in the refrigerator for an hour. Before serving, chop the parsley and add to the marinade.

Baked mussels in cheese sauce

Seafood goes great with cheese. Let's cook them in the oven in a fragrant creamy cheese filling. You will need 500 grams of mussels, an onion, 2 processed cheese, a glass of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of flour, the yolk of one egg, 100 grams of hard cheese, 2 garlic cloves, a mixture of peppers, salt.

Boil the clams for 1 minute and let drain. Mash the processed cheese in a bowl, pour in the cream, stir, add the yolk, spices, salt, and flour. Beat the mixture thoroughly with a whisk or blender. Cut the onion into rings and crush the garlic. Place seafood in a pan on greased baking paper, onion on top, pour sauce over everything, add garlic, add hard cheese on top, bake the dish until golden brown at 200 degrees.

Now you know recipes for how to cook mussels at home. How exactly you will do this is up to your taste. Guests and family members will appreciate your culinary talent, thanks to our selection.

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

How to cook delicious mussels

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

Mussels in creamy sauce

What you will need:

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

How to cook:

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

Seafood in batter

Ingredients:

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

How to cook:

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

Marinated mussels

Components:

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

How to cook:

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

Pasta with mussels

What you will need:

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

How to cook:

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

How to cook mussels in shells

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

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

Baked mussels

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

How to cook:

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

Mussels stewed in cream

Ingredients:

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

How to cook:

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

How to cook mussels

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

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

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

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

The sea has fed man for thousands of years. It is a repository of food reserves, which are famous for their nutritional value - rare microelements, vitamins, amino acids, high-quality protein. In addition to fish, the seas and oceans are home to octopuses, crabs, squid, scallops and many other healthy seafood that 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 are served with pasta, cereals, potatoes, and 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 valves, the mussels must be placed in a hot frying pan or lowered 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 - the best recipes

Recipe 1: Marinated mussels

One of the most delicious dishes that can be prepared from mussels is to simply 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 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, 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, and salt. You can use any mustard, for example, French or spicy.
Transfer the still warm mussels, along with a bay leaf and a clove of garlic, into the marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator for about five hours. It is more convenient to marinate in a 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. Place mussels in hot marinade. 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 suitable for both a festive table and a romantic evening. We offer two cooking options: in the first option, seafood is baked in shells under a cheese crust, in the second – in a regular form with sauce.

Ingredients (1 option): 0.5 kg of mussels in shells, 2 tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, 50 g of butter, spices, 150 g of 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 of 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 are a simple dish to prepare, but delicious in taste. Both vegetable oil and melted butter will be used for frying. Nutritionists recommend butter, 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 as a separate 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 an unpleasant odor and have tightly closed flaps that cannot be opened by hand.

Mussels are a delicacy and a healthy product containing natural high-quality protein, which is equal in amino acid content to a chicken egg. In addition, mussels contain more than 30 minerals and trace elements, so in order to maintain the nutritional value of this product, you need to learn how to properly cook mussels. You can make soups, pilafs, salads and stews from mussels; they are salted, pickled, boiled, fried in batter, cooked over a fire and smoked.

This dish is served with rice, potatoes, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and herbs - peeled or in shells. The mussels taste very tender, pleasant, sweet and salty, but most importantly, they are low-calorie (80 calories per 100 grams of meat), so they can be eaten in any quantity without fear for a slim figure. Now let's try to understand how to cook mussel meat according to all the rules.

It's no secret that mussels, along with shrimp, are one of the most popular seafood in Russia. The tender meat of these mollusks is perfect for preparing a wide variety of dishes.

Experts say that good mussels should smell only of the sea, and if there are foreign odors or an unpleasant odor, then the product is spoiled.
The shells of molluscs must be tightly closed.
Quality frozen mussels are usually light yellow in color, with no cracks on the surface of the ice. The presence of such defects indicates that the mussels have already been thawed, and, therefore, have lost their beneficial properties.
Large mussels are juicier and tastier than small shellfish.

Fresh mussels. How to cook frozen mussels?

How to cook river mussels if you just bought them at the store? Fresh seafood is cooked on the same day; in extreme cases, it can be refrigerated for a maximum of two days.
Now let's talk about how long to cook the mussels. Tender shellfish should be boiled over high heat in salted water with seasonings: fresh - 5-7 minutes, frozen - 7-10 minutes. Sea mussels are prepared according to the same principle.
When we cook mussels frozen without the shell, we can enhance their taste with lemon juice and white wine. If these products are mixed with garlic and herbs, you get the perfect sauce for mussels.

Sea and river mussels in shells: how to cook?

Many housewives are interested in how to cook mussels in shells, and there are several important rules here. First, shells with cracks are removed (they should under no circumstances be eaten), then good shells should be immersed in boiling water for two minutes, open the shells, remove the shellfish and also rinse them thoroughly under running water, removing algae and sand.
How to cook mussels in the shell? It is necessary to fill them with water, bring to a boil, drain the water and boil in new water for 10 minutes. As soon as the doors open and a delicious aroma spreads through the kitchen, the mussels are ready!

Serve the mussels hot and do not cook them for future use, as it is not recommended to reheat this dish due to the risk of poisoning. There is another important secret in cooking mussels: despite the fact that the tender meat of shellfish can be combined with any food, it is better not to mix it with anything. How to cook fresh mussels to preserve the nobility and sophistication of this dish? Serve it separately with good white wine, lemon and herbs. Be a foodie!

Mussels are shellfish used for food. The muscle with mantle and entrails are edible. They are rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements, which makes mussel dishes nutritious and healthy. Purchased raw, peeled mussels must first be thoroughly rinsed to remove sand, and then begin cooking. Mussels do not require the use of a large amount of spices and sauce in dishes, as they overwhelm the taste of the shellfish.

Before you cook mussels, you need to know the main rules for choosing them when purchasing. It is preferable to buy mussels whose valves are tightly closed. Open or damaged ones should not be taken. If the sinks are too heavy, then most likely they are filled with sand. And if they are light, the mollusk in them has already died.

If you are not going to cook shellfish immediately after purchasing, then you need to think about how to keep them alive at home. To do this, place the mussels in one layer, cover with a damp towel and place the container in the refrigerator. You can store them this way for no more than three days.

The mussels in the shells are thoroughly washed, removing sand and algae. Cook them with water, broth or wine for just a few minutes. If the valves of the clam do not open, then it must be thrown away. Cooked mussels should be eaten immediately.

Methods for cooking mussels over a fire

The most delicious are mussels that have only been caught and cooked directly over the fire. For this you need a little - the mussels themselves, lemon, white wine, a rust-free metal sheet and an open fire. A sheet with mussels, cleared of algae, laid out on it is placed above the flame. On a hot sheet, the mollusks will very soon open their valves. After salting, after a few minutes the mussels can be placed on portioned plates. Sprinkle each clam with lemon juice. The dish is ready, and the sound of the waves and the aroma of the sea will give it additional charm.

You can not only fry mussels over a fire, but also boil them. To do this, you need to take a pan, lemon, rice, salt, herbs. First, the rice is washed and cooked, which is used as the base of the side dish. Then cook the shellfish in salted boiling water for ten to fifteen minutes. Arrange mussels sprinkled with lemon juice on plates, garnish with herbs and lemon slices.

Cooking mussels at home

Under normal conditions, mussels can be purchased frozen. How to cook mussels? To begin with, the clams need to be defrosted and the dirt remaining on the shells must be thoroughly washed.

If you plan to cook mussels as a main dish or as an ingredient in a salad, you first need to boil them for 20 minutes in a saucepan with a tightly closed lid. To improve the taste and aroma, add onions, allspice, and bay leaves to the water.

A spectacular and exotic dish - Korean-style mussels. This unusual treat is quite simple to prepare. For it you will need 500 grams of mussels, three onions, 50 mg of soy sauce, a large spoon of honey, spices you can take black and red pepper, coriander, nutmeg, lime. Boil the mussels for five minutes and let the water drain from them. The onion is cut into half rings, salted, sprinkled with lime and left to marinate. While cooking the onions, add spices to the soy sauce - nutmeg, red and black pepper, lime juice, honey, and heat. Onions, sauce, clams are combined, sprinkled with pepper, mixed and placed in the refrigerator. The dish is consumed cold.

Mussel pilaf

One way to please your loved ones with an amazing dish is with mussels. For this dish you need to take 700 grams of mussels, 200 grams of rice, one carrot and onion, a teaspoon of tomato paste, pepper and salt. Frozen mussels are boiled in salted water. The water in which the shellfish were boiled will still be useful to you.

In a heated frying pan with heated oil, you need to put grated carrots, finely chopped onions, add rice to the vegetables, and fry.

When the onion turns golden, add two cups of mussel broth, tomato, bay leaf, salt, ground pepper, and cook over low heat. When the rice is almost completely cooked, add the mussels. The dish is served hot. Decorated with greenery.

Healthy and tasty mussel dishes, prepared by the skillful hands of the housewife according to proven recipes, can become the main decoration of the holiday table.