How to cook mussels in a shell: recipes. The benefits and harms of mussels

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Today we will talk about how to cook mussels in a shell, what is their benefit to humans and how they can harm. Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to eat them, or is it better to refuse such a beloved delicacy. And also with what dishes can be prepared using these underwater inhabitants.

What is this?

Before we talk about how to cook mussels in a shell, we will tell you about the seafood itself. It is generally accepted that this is a very he althy, he althy food containing a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals with a low calorie content. Marine bivalves live in all oceans and seas, and today there are even special farms where they are grown for the food industry. The production period of shellfish takes a year and a half. This is how long it takes for seafood to grow to marketable size.

They sell mussels in shells, the recipe for their preparation provides for the use of only tightly closed mollusks, without damaging the hardshells. They should smell like the sea, this is a sure sign that the mussels are fresh. If at the end of cooking the doors remain closed, it is strictly forbidden to eat such seafood. In stores, clams are most often sold boiled and then frozen. Before cooking, they should be thawed at room temperature and be sure to smell: if the smell is foreign, the product is spoiled. If the aroma is pleasant, then you can safely cook them further.

Delicacy

How to cook mussels in shells, we will tell a little later. Now let's talk about what part of the mollusks is edible. The muscle (meat part), liquid and mantle are suitable for food. It is very tender and sweetish meat. The muscle that opens and closes the valves is not actually poisonous, but it is tough and tasteless.

Cooking marine life in different ways: boiled, stewed, fried, baked, s alted, smoked. They are part of various dishes, and are also an independent dish or snack. Mussels that have undergone heat treatment should be eaten immediately, they cannot be stored or reheated: this is fraught with poisoning. Only short-term heat treatment is allowed before opening the doors, and then quick freezing: seafood can be stored this way for three months.

Several recipes

Now it's time to tell you how to cook mussels in a shell. The easiest way is to boil them. For 1 kg of shellfish, you need to take a liter of water, the juice of one lemon, s alt and other spices to taste. Seafood is washed thoroughlyclean shells from limestone deposits, suction cups, sand and algae. If ajar doors are found, then the mussels are ruthlessly thrown away. Boil water with spices and lemon juice, pour it over the clams so that the shells are not covered. Hold on fire for no more than five minutes and remove.

Recipe number 2: mussels in sauce. For a kilogram of seafood you will need:

• one lemon;
• 80ml vegetable oil (preferably olive oil);
• five cloves of garlic;
• herbs and spices to taste.

The washed and sorted clams are poured with boiling water and warmed up until the valves open a little, then they are taken out. While the mussels are cooking, prepare the sauce: put the garlic cloves in the heated oil until a light aroma appears. Then we take out the teeth and lower the seafood without the upper sash. Squeeze a lemon there, add chopped herbs and spices. Simmer covered for no more than seven minutes. Sprinkle the finished dish with lemon juice. You can boil mussels in water with white wine (1:1). Then the dish acquires a spicy aftertaste and a light aroma of summer.

Third way. It is very easy to cook mussels in shells in the oven according to a French recipe. The ingredients are the same: a kilo of shellfish, spices and s alt to taste, fresh herbs, lemon juice and hot chili peppers. So, we wash and sort out seafood, clean the shells. Now put them on a baking sheet, frying pan or on hot coals and fry for 10-15 minutes. Next, transfer them to a dish, sprinkle with lemon juice, sprinkleherbs and peppers. You can eat them with wine or beer, as well as without anything. Bon appetit!

Benefits and harms

So, the reader already knows how to cook mussels in a shell. Now it's time to dwell on the benefits and harms of these delicious seafood.

Their benefit lies in the high content of useful substances - protein, mineral s alts, fatty acids and amino acids, vitamins A, B, PP, B12. The use of mussels has a positive effect on the thyroid gland, nervous system, blood circulation, and helps to eliminate toxins from the body.

The harm of shellfish is that they can contain poison if grown in the wrong conditions. Also, sand can be deep in the tissues, which negatively affects tooth enamel when consumed.

Contraindications

How to cook mussels in shells, we figured out, now let's find out if everyone can eat them. In principle, everyone can eat this seafood. There are two exceptions: when there is an individual intolerance or allergy, and also if a person suffers from blood clotting disorders. If there are no contraindications, it is still worth eating mussels in moderation, especially if you are not used to such food since childhood.