Mussel dishes: delicious recipes. How to cook mussels at home

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

Mussels are an excellent source of protein, they are low in calories and fat, cholesterol, and at the same time they have a large amount of vitamins and minerals. They are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for heart he alth. They reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and also reduce the level of fat triglycerides in the blood.

The above-mentioned benefits of this seafood make it a good option for people suffering from obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Mussels are popular because they are inexpensive yet taste good. In addition, they can be prepared quickly and easily. To make a delicious dinner, all you need is a package of seafood, some oil, spices and wine. A simple and at the same time dietary dish of mussels will be on your table in just 15 minutes.

However, this is far from the only way to cook mussels. Below are general guidelines for preparing this seafood and ideas for delicious meals.

How to cook mussels delicious?

Black mussels are the most common type of seafood you can find on the market. They arrive at stores almost ready to be cooked. Everything you need to preparemussels is to rinse them a little. You can also find large clams in dark green shells that are good baked.

Mussels are good because they form a sauce by themselves with their aroma, but some spices and additives can improve the taste. Shallots can be a good addition.

If you want to experiment, use a regular onion or maybe chopped fennel. In addition, a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary will also work great. If you like spices, Thai curry paste or harissa would be a good choice. Cubes of salami, chorizo or bacon also go well with this seafood.

Once you choose the right additives and spices, you can cook any mussel dish with a little olive oil or butter.

Mussels release a lot of liquid on their own, so you don't have to add water to them, but some other liquid fillers can improve the taste of the finished dish. Dry white wine is the classic choice and probably the most common. However, it was cider that was the most common drink among sailors, so it is great for cooking seafood.

The quickest and easiest mussel dish is just toss them in a dry hot skillet and tap the shells with a spatula. They will quickly stew in their own juices. All you need to do is drizzle with olive oil, drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh fragrant herbs.

For other options, try usingchopped tomatoes. Coconut milk can add fresh flavor to seafood. This is how the national dishes of Southeast Asia are prepared. Below are some simple and original recipes on how to cook mussels. As you can see, even a novice hostess can complete them.

Mussels with blue cheese

If you like mussels and blue cheese, you can try to combine these products in one dish. For this you will need:

• 2 kilos of mussels;
• 1 kg broccoli;
• 300 grams short pasta;
• 120ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine;
• 2 garlic cloves;
• 240ml (1 cup) cream;
• 200 grams of Roquefort (or other blue cheese such as Gorgonzola);
• 2 tablespoons butter.

How to make mussels in garlic sauce with cheese?

Sauté the mussels with Roquefort and minced garlic using the quantities above and remove most of the mussels from the shells. Save a few for decoration.

Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Boil the pasta and broccoli in the same pot of lightly s alted water, adding the vegetable only after 6 minutes of cooking.

Drain, mix pasta and broccoli with mussels and cheese. Garnish with seafood in shells and serve immediately.

Mussels in garlic sauce

Many people love spicy seafood, so hotmussel dishes with garlic are very popular. Below is a recipe for seafood with cheese and butter that almost everyone will love. For it you will need:

• 1 kg fresh mussels;
• 50 grams of butter;
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped;
• 1.5 cm piece of fresh ginger, chopped;
• 1 cup regular or tangy white cheddar cheese;
• ¼ tbsp dried thyme;
• ⅛ tablespoons cayenne pepper;
• black pepper to taste;
• fresh chopped parsley for garnish.

How to cook mussels with cheese?

This is a dish of boiled mussels. Clean the seafood by removing the shells and rinse them under cold running water. Remove dark hairy parts. Boil water with ginger in a saucepan. Make sure you add enough water to cover the mussels. Add seafood and simmer for one to two minutes. Drain water.

Transfer the mussels, along with their shells, to a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled foil.

In a frying pan, melt the butter over low heat and fry the garlic until lightly golden. Turn off heat and add dried thyme and cayenne powder. Pour the garlic-butter mixture over the mussels. Season with ground black pepper. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top.

Bake the mussels in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with freshparsley. Serve and enjoy!

Seafood curry

If you purchase shellfish, you can quickly and easily prepare delicious Asian mussel dishes. For example, seafood curry. For this you need:

• mussels - 500 grams;
• onion - 2 pieces;
• tomato - 1 medium;
• garlic - 4 prongs;
• fresh ginger - 1.5 cm piece;
• chili powder - 1-2 teaspoons;
• ground turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon;
• coriander powder - 1.5 tablespoons;
• garam masala seasoning - 1/2 tablespoon;
• ground black pepper - 1/2 tablespoon;
• curry leaves - a few pieces;
• cilantro - for decoration;
• a little lemon juice;
• s alt;
• vegetable oil.

Cooking an Indian dish

Thaw and rinse the mussels. Mix with s alt, chili, turmeric powder and leave to marinate for 15-20 minutes. Subsequently, fried mussels will turn out more fragrant.

Chop onion and garlic, chop ginger and curry leaves. Heat up the oil and add the onion to it. Fry until it is light brown. Add ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Fry for a few more minutes. Add the tomato and simmer until soft.

Add mussels along with spices and fry until seafood is done. Garnish with cilantro and drizzle with lemon juice. Serve the fried mussels hot with rice or chappati. You can also complement it with a salad of fresh juicy vegetables.

Baked mussels with cheese

In many Asian restaurants you can find such a mussel dish as baked seafood in shells with sauce. It has an interesting taste that can be both sweet and spicy. Most often, mussels are baked with cheese, since this combination is universal.

This recipe is very easy and quick to make and only requires a few ingredients. You can make it at home without any problems. The standard recipe calls for mayonnaise, but you can replace it with thick sour cream and bake the mussels in a creamy sauce.

It is advisable to use Korean Kewpie mayonnaise, which can be found in Asian speci alty stores and even in some hypermarkets. This product is very different from the usual mayonnaise sold everywhere.

Giant green mussels can be found in any major grocery store today. They differ in the large size of the shell. You can make this simple dish with frozen or fresh mussels.

Since it only takes 5-7 minutes to bake, you can do this in batches. All you need:

• 1 kg giant green mussels (about 16 pieces);
• 1/2 cup Korean mayonnaise;
• 1 cup cheese, finely grated;
• 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce;
• 1 tablespoon lime juice;
• a handful of parsley, finely chopped.

How to bake mussels with cheese?

Preheat oven to 200°C. Examine the mussels and remove the clams frombroken shells. Heat a high-rimmed frying pan or saucepan, put the seafood in it along with 2 tablespoons of water, cover immediately and cook for 5-7 minutes over moderate heat until the shells open. Transfer them to a colander to cool down.

While the mussels are cooking, combine the mayonnaise, cheese, barbecue sauce and lime juice in a small bowl. Once the clams are cooked and cool enough to process (just a few minutes), remove one half of the shell from them. Place the mussels (meat side up) in a single layer on the skillet or baking sheet. Place a teaspoon of cheese mixture on top of each clam.

Bake at 200°C for 5-7 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and carefully place the mussels on a serving plate, sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Also, you can try chipotle sauce in place of BBQ for a richer flavor. Finely chopped green onions can be a good addition or substitute for parsley. Lemon juice can be easily replaced with lime juice. And, as noted above, you can replace mayonnaise with sour cream, and barbecue sauce with chopped garlic, and bake mussels in a creamy sauce with cheese.

Paella with chicken, chorizo, mussels and shrimps

Paella, popular in Spain and other countries, is easy to make at home. However, there are some features that need to be taken into account. In this recipe, chicken, mussels and shrimp should be cooked separately, and only thenmix with other ingredients.

For best results use round rice. The chicken should be cut into small pieces. Can be used as part of a carcass with a bone, and fillet. If you don't have pre-made broth, you can start cooking the dish an hour early and use chicken wings to simmer it.

All you need is the following:

• 1 small chicken;
• 5 tablespoons olive oil;
• 500 grams unpeeled mussels (fresh or thawed);
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) dry white wine;
• 6-8 large shrimp, raw or precooked;
• 2 bulbs;
• 1 green pepper;
• 4 garlic cloves;
• 100 grams of chorizo;
• 2 cups of rice, preferably round grain;
• 3, 5 cups (800 ml) chicken broth or water;
• 1/4 teaspoon ground saffron;
• ½ teaspoon s alt (or more);
• freshly ground black pepper;
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped leaf parsley.

How to cook paella with mussels?

Cut the chicken into small pieces. Heat a spoonful of olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the chicken until golden brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. It must not be fully cooked. Transfer the chicken to a bowl, along with any rendered juices, and set aside.

In the meantime, rinse the mussels. Heat 1/3 cup white wine in a large saucepan. Add the mussels, cover and cook over high heat until the shells open (about3 minutes). Then transfer the entire contents of the saucepan to a separate bowl and set aside.

Fry the shrimp in a spoonful of olive oil. If using raw seafood, cook until pink. If using pre-boiled shrimp, fry until the shells are lightly browned. Postpone.

Peel and finely chop the onion. Rinse the green peppers, remove the core and cut into small cubes. Peel and mince the garlic. Remove the skin from the chorizo and chop it finely.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the chorizo slices and fry for another 5 minutes.

Add the rice to the skillet and fry until translucent, about 3 minutes. Pour in the remaining 1/3 cup white wine. Let the wine evaporate for about 2 minutes. Now pour in the broth or water. Add saffron, s alt and pepper. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat as low as possible and cover the pan. Do not stir the rice during cooking. Let it cook for about 10 minutes.

Remove the cover and try. When it's almost done, add the chicken, mussels and shrimp pieces and stir gently. Add liquid from all listed ingredients. Cover with a lid and let the mussels and chicken dish cook to the end over low heat (approximately 5 minutes). Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.