Mussels are valuable food products, they contain almost a record number of essential amino acids, have a high nutritional value with a low calorie content. In addition, the meat of mollusks in many countries is considered a delicacy. And gourmets appreciate them not for their benefit, but for their unique taste. However, many of our compatriots deprive of this “overseas” delicacy with attention, although you can find mussels on the shelves of shops already taken out of the shells and frozen, so that they do not even need to be chopped, but you just need to bake, fry or stew. The thing is that not all housewives know how to cook frozen peeled mussels, so as not to poison them, and get great pleasure from the dish. In fact, this is easy. The main thing is to know a few secrets.
Cooking Features
People living by the ocean know well how high-quality mussels should look and how to cook them properly. However, not everyone knows this in our country, although mollusks are no longer a rarity. Hostesses who have not yet risked cooking frozen peeled mussels at home, but are going to do this, will benefit from the advice of experienced chefs.
- Large mussels are considered softer and juicier than small ones. Usually on the package with these seafood indicate how many mollusks in one kilogram (30/1, 55/1, and so on). The smaller the first digit, the better.
- If the mussels are defrosted and frozen again, they not only become less tasty, but can also be dangerous to the body. Determine whether the product has been thawed, can be as ice glaze. If it lies unevenly, cracked or there is water in the package, then it is better to refrain from buying.
- Quality fresh mussels have a light shade. The presence of unpleasant poisonous color stains may indicate that the product has been stored for too long. Eat this in food is not worth it.
- In order to discourage the fishy smell, it is good to sprinkle frozen peeled mussels before cooking with lemon juice.
- Before cooking, mussels need to be thawed and rinsed well under a strong stream of water, as sand may fall into them.
- It is impossible to cook frozen mussels for too long, otherwise they will become rigid. Need to focus on the time specified in the recipe.
Serving mussels can be served as an independent snack or as a hot meal with a side dish. In this case, they should be eaten immediately after preparation, since it will be impossible to warm them afterwards.
How to fry frozen peeled mussels
Composition:
- frozen mussels, peeled - 0, 5 kg;
- onions - 0, 2 kg;
- salt, black pepper, dill - to taste;
- vegetable oil - how much will leave.
Method of preparation:
- Defrost the mussels, rinse well and boil for 15 minutes.
- Cool the mussels and cut them into small pieces.
- Peel the onions and cut into small cubes.
- Finely chop the dill.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry in it until golden brown onions.
- Put mussels onion, fry them with onions for 3-4 minutes.
- Sprinkle with dill, mix.
After this, the dish can already be laid out on plates and served.
How to put out mussels with vegetables in beer
Composition:
- frozen mussels frozen peeled - 1 kg;
- carrots - 0, 2 kg;
- stem celery - 0, 2 kg;
- shallots - 50 g;
- butter - 60 g;
- sour cream - 70 ml;
- dried parsley - 10 g;
- tarragon - 10 g;
- bay leaf - 1 pc .;
- salt, black pepper - to taste;
- dark beer - 150 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Rinse the celery well, cut it into small pieces.
- Peel the carrots, cut them into straws or grate on a grater for Korean salads.
- Finely chop the onion.
- Melt butter in a pan. Put the vegetables and stew them in oil for 10 minutes.
- Add parsley, tarragon, bay leaf, salt and pepper, pour in beer, stew vegetables for a couple of minutes.
- Place thawed and washed mussels on vegetables. Cover the pan with a lid. Stew mussels 5 minutes.
- Add sour cream, mix. Simmer for another minute and remove from heat.
A sufficient amount of wheat or rye-wheat bread should be served with this snack, which is well pre-dried in a toaster.
Mussels in white wine with cheese sauce
Composition:
- frozen mussels frozen peeled - 0, 4 kg;
- dry white wine - 0, 7 l;
- cream with 15-20% fat content - 0.5 l;
- blue mold cheese - 0, 2 kg;
- Dijon mustard - 20 ml;
- leek - 50 g;
- Provencal herbs - 20 g;
- salt, white pepper - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Rinse thawed mussels.
- Pour wine into a saucepan, bring it to a boil over low heat.
- Dip the mussels in the wine, add the Provencal herbs, white pepper and salt.
- Simmer the mussels in white wine for 5 minutes.
- In another saucepan, heat the cream.
- Cut the cheese into small cubes.
- Finely chop the onion.
- When the cream begins to boil, reduce the heat and mix them with the mustard.
- Add onions and cheese. While stirring, boil until the sauce has a uniform consistency.
- Put the mussels on a dish, cover with the sauce.
This recipe is a gift to all lovers of seafood from the Belgian cuisine.
Mussels baked under cream sauce
Composition:
- frozen mussels frozen peeled - 0, 8-1 kg;
- processed cheese - 0, 2 kg;
- cream - 0, 3 l;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- butter - 50 g;
- egg yolk (raw) - 1 pc .;
- wheat flour - 20 g;
- hard cheese - 100 g;
- potato starch - 20 g.
Method of preparation:
- Coarsely grated melted cheese.
- Heat the cream and dissolve the cheese in them. Allow the cream mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Beat egg yolk with flour and starch. When the mass becomes homogeneous, combine it with a cream sauce.
- Add garlic passed through a press to the sauce, stir.
- Defrost mussels, rinse and boil in salted water for 3-4 minutes. Take it out of the water, let it drain.
- Lubricate the form with butter, put mussels in it.
- Fill the clams with creamy sauce.
- Place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Finely rub hard cheese, sprinkle them on the dish. After 5 minutes after that, it can be taken out of the oven and laid out on plates.
You can prepare this dish from frozen and already cleaned mussels in portioned tins.
How to cook pickled mussels
Composition:
- frozen mussels, peeled - 0, 5 kg;
- garlic - 1 head;
- dried dill - 10 g;
- black pepper peas - 10 pcs .;
- chilli peppers - 1 pc .;
- bulb onion - 75 g;
- liquid smoke - 5 ml;
- salt - 20 g;
- vegetable oil - 0, 2 liters.
Method of preparation:
- Thaw and thoroughly wash the meat of the shellfish.
- Peel and slice the garlic.
- Mix garlic with dill.
- Boil water, add salt, peppercorns, a whole peeled onion and a whole intact pepper pod.
- After the salt has dissolved and the brine is boiled for a few minutes, dip the mussels in it and boil them in the brine for 3 minutes.
- Add liquid smoke and boil the mussels in brine for another 2 minutes.
- Place a mixture of garlic and dill on the bottom of a sterilized glass jar.
- Put the mussels in the jar. Fill them with vegetable oil so that it covers them completely.
- When the mussels have cooled slightly, put them in the fridge.
Mussels marinated according to this recipe can be eaten within 12 hours. During this time they will have time to soak up the aromas of spices and acquire a unique taste.
How to cook mussels in a multicooker
Composition:
- mussels - 0.5 kg;
- drinking cream - 0, 2 l;
- fresh tomatoes - 0, 2 kg;
- olive oil - 50 ml;
- salt, black pepper powder - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Thaw the mussels. Put them in a colander and wash them under a strong stream of water. Pat dry with paper napkins.
- Pour oil into the multicooker bowl. Put mussels in it, pepper and salt them.
- Run the “Baking” program for 25 minutes and fry the mussels for 15 minutes in the selected mode.
- While the mussels are fried, you can make the sauce. To do this, pour tomatoes with boiling water, remove the skin from them, chop the pulp in a blender, mix with cream.
- 15 minutes after the start of the program, pour the mussels with the sauce and continue cooking them in the same mode for another 10 minutes.
Mussels stewed in a slow cooker in a tomato-creamy sauce require a side dish. Goes well with vegetable puree.
Paella with mussels
Composition:
- rice - 0, 2 kg;
- frozen mussels frozen - 0, 3 kg;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- dry white wine - 150 ml;
- olive oil - 50 ml;
- salt, seasonings - to taste;
- hard cheese - 100 g.
Method of preparation:
- Cut the garlic cloves in half, fry them for 5 minutes in olive oil so that they give him their flavor. Remove garlic cloves that have become unnecessary from butter.
- Put the washed and dried rice in the garlic oil, stir it in it, stirring it for 5 minutes.
- Fill with rice 0, 3 liters of water and wine.
- Add some salt, add spices and start cooking over low heat.
- When rice absorbs all the liquid, put thawed and washed mussels in it, mix. Simmer them together with rice under a lid on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese and continue to simmer under the lid for another 5 minutes.
Paella with mussels is a dish of Mediterranean cuisine. Garnish to it is not required. But a glass of wine will not be superfluous.
For whichever of the above recipes you decide to cook frozen peeled mussels - the result will please you. You do not have to be upset because you have acquired an unfamiliar product. Moreover, this useful delicacy will be a frequent guest on your table.
