Mussel salad - general principles and methods of cooking
If you have ever been to the Black Sea coast, you probably did not deny yourself the desire to try a real freshly prepared mussel. All these seafood - mussels, shrimps, oysters - are very nutritious, contain a large amount of protein, but are completely safe for our waist. Mussels in this regard is the most unique product - after all, 100 grams contain only 20 kcal. Fat in them at least, but vitamins E and B, unsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids and other nutrients, in excess. Some people, on the advice of nutritionists, are even trying to lose weight with clams.
So, we prepare a mussel salad - we additionally stock up with calcium, magnesium and iodine. And this means that now you can be calm and for your emotional state, because we are not afraid of any stress, and the thyroid gland will be fine. Mussels are simply necessary for men - it is they who increase masculine power, and help them stay young for a long time, preventing natural aging processes. Traditional medicine has long ranked mussels to the category of aphrodisiacs, and low cholesterol levels normalize liver function.
Mussel Salad - Food Preparation
In our country, most often you can buy frozen mussels. They need to be cooked on the day of purchase, since when it is defrosted it deteriorates quickly. They are part of different dishes, ranging from salads, and ending with dietary soups. Remember that this product requires special attention, as it can cause the most dangerous poisoning due to low-quality products. Choose carefully, look and smell. The smell should be sea, the shells are tightly covered. If the flaps are ajar and do not close when pressed, then they should not be taken. Meat with entrails is used in food - the contents of the shell. Salads can be seasoned with mayonnaise, soy sauce or lemon juice.
Mussel Salad - Best Recipes
Recipe 1: Mussel Salad with Eggs and Mayonnaise
Very simple and delicious salad is prepared quickly and easily. All products are ready, you only need to boil mussels and eggs. Ingredients: eggs (3 pieces), frozen mussels (200 grams), hard cheese (150 grams), dill, leaves of lettuce for decoration, cucumber, mayonnaise (2 spoons).
Method of preparation
Boil eggs and chop them, you can use an egg cutter. We rub the grated cheese, wash the mussels under running water, pour it with cold water, salt and put on the stove. After boiling the mussels 2 minutes is enough to boil. Wash and dry the parsley, finely chop. Drain the water through a sieve and leave the mussels to glass the water. We unite all components in a bowl, and we fill with mayonnaise. At the bottom of a flat plate or salad bowl put a fox salad. Top mussels salad, garnish - beautifully sliced fresh or pickled cucumber. Very appetizing!
Recipe 2: Mussel Salad with Rice
If you plan to use thawed mussels, then take care in advance to defrost them in time. The best option is to put them in a bowl and place them in the fridge, not in the freezer. Prepare long grain rice.
Ingredients: milk (250 grams), olive oil, parsley, bay leaf, salt, pepper, rice (150 grams), cherry tomatoes (8 pieces), boiled eggs (2 pieces).
Method of preparation
Defrost and wash the mussels. We will boil them in milk, so pour it into the pan and make sure that it does not run away. Put in it a bay leaf, peppercorns, mussels, a little salt, cook for 4 minutes after boiling. We shift in a bowl with a skimmer. Cook crumbly rice, mix it with mussels. Cut slices of cherry tomatoes and eggs, parsley. Fill - oil, vinegar, pepper, ground and salt, fill the mussels. Arrange the plates, decorate with tomatoes, herbs and eggs.
Recipe 3: Mussel Salad with Pickled Mushrooms
Marinated mushrooms go well with mussels. You get a great salad, seasoned with lemon juice. Olives can be cut into rings and mixed with salad, or simply put on top for decoration.
Ingredients: mussels (500 grams), vegetable oil (20 grams), lemon (1 pc.), Pickled cucumber (2 large), marinated mushrooms (150 grams), olives.
Method of preparation
Cut the onion and fry it on low heat until half cooked. Wash mussels and dried, send to the pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The water should evaporate and the mussels should be steamed well. Put them on a plate. Marinated cucumber and mushrooms cut into half-hen. Combine the ingredients in a salad bowl, pour them with lemon juice, decorate with olives and serve.
Mussel Salad - useful tips from experienced chefs
A large amount of spice or a pronounced sauce may muffle the taste, but this does not apply to wine in which mussels can be cooked. Pour 2 glasses of white or red dry wine and spices into a deep pan, lay the mussels and cook for about 5 minutes after boiling. Remember that unopened mollusks can not be eaten. Salad from such mussels gets bright pronounced taste. This is a real delicacy.
Mussels: this is interesting
The shell of a mussel consists of two smooth valves that are not connected by muscles, they breathe with the help of a special organ (siphon), seizing and drawing water. The necessary oxygen for breathing is separated by gills from the water. Siphon also captures food. Small suspension, passing through the gills, is filtered out and enters the mouth, located right near the siphon.
These mollusks breed with caviar, setting aside about 15 million black eggs for 1 time. Caviar harvested under the very gills. Small clams do not have a shell at first, they are formed much later, making the clam heavier. Under this weight, he more and more sinks to the bottom, but he lives not at a very great depth - only from 3 to 30 meters. They are distributed almost all over the planet and have commercial value, they are even grown on special farms.
But sometimes there are poisonous mussels that can lead to the death of a person. Why is this happening? Scientists have been looking for an answer to this question. One of the versions is armor-clad, poisonous algae that can be eaten by mussels. Interestingly, mussels can accumulate in huge colonies, forming whole heaps. One of the largest concentrations of mollusks found by researchers at sea depths was 100 meters in diameter and 20 meters high.