What to cook from boiled frozen mussels. How to cook frozen mussels. Mussels in a slow cooker

What is allowed to be given to infants? How can you lower the temperature in older children? What medications are the safest? How to cook frozen mussels

In order to create delicious salads from them for the holiday table and at the same time preserve their beneficial and tasteful qualities, we will tell you in this article. The beneficial properties of mussels have long been known and lie in the fact that mussel meat is rich in complete proteins and contains a completely small amount of fat and carbohydrates.

This is what Black Sea mussels look like

The taste of mussel meat resembles the meat of delicious sea fish or even boiled ones, but it depends on how you cook them..

They eat almost everything in mussels, muscle, mantle and entrails. But, before consuming both fresh and frozen mussels, they must be thoroughly cleaned of sea mud, algae and sand.

How to cook frozen mussels. Video

Mussels contain a large amount of amino acids necessary for our body. Such as tryptophan, from which our body synthesizes serotonin and melotanin, which we need for a happy life without fears, anxiety and depression.

Mussel meat also contains the essential amino acid methionine. It is not produced by our body, but we need it to reduce cholesterol in the blood, promote liver function and, again, like tryptophan, helps fight stress.

In addition, methionine is a good medicine for peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum.

This is what the meat (muscle), mantle and insides of mussels look like. Quite edible and appetizing.

Mussel meat contains B vitamins - B1, B2, B6, PP. This group of vitamins also contributes to a calmer, measured life without neuroses and associated diseases of the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems.

How to cook frozen mussels. How to choose mussels

Frozen Black Sea mussels, packaged. Caught in the Black Sea and frozen in Ukraine and purchased in the Far East

When purchasing frozen mussels, you should pay attention to the following:

• First of all, they should be covered with a thin layer of ice glaze without slush. This suggests that most likely they were not defrosted and re-frozen. And under the ice glaze they do not oxidize. That is, their pleasant taste does not become the taste of “rusty” herring.
• Frozen mussels should have no odor or should have a pleasant fishy odor.
• If the mussels are vacuum-packed, you can make sure that they have not expired according to the production and storage dates on the packaging. Through the packaging you can see and evaluate the appearance of the mussels.
• It is better to buy packaged mussels than by weight, since vacuum packaging allows them to retain their taste and edibility properties longer.

How to cook frozen mussels. Primary processing stage

• We defrost the mussels by moving them from the freezer to the refrigerator at a temperature of +2 - +5 degrees, where they slowly thaw directly in the package.
• We thoroughly rinse the defrosted mussels in a colander under running cold water, having previously removed seaweed, sand, shell fragments and other inedible sea particles from the insides.
• In mussels, especially large ones, we remove the intestines. It is easier to remove all the insides including gills, intestines, stomach, gonads, leaving only the mantle and two muscles connecting the valves. In Southeast Asia they eat everything, and this is all good for the human body.
• Let the water drain.

• We blanch the mussels by steaming, rather than in boiling water, since steaming blanching allows us to preserve all the valuable properties of the mussels and in this case there is less saturation of the mussel meat with water, which preserves the taste of the mussels. To do this, pour a small amount of water into the pan, bring to a boil, add half a medium onion, allspice peas, and two medium bay leaves to the boiling water. Let the marinade boil for 5 minutes.

• Place the prepared mussels in a single layer on the steamer, place them in the pan and cover with a lid. Blanch for 15-20 minutes.
• Remove the blanched mussels from the pan. Cool at room temperature.

How to cook frozen mussels. Preparing mussels for salads

• Cut the cooled mussels into medium pieces for frying in sunflower oil with onions.
• While shredding mussels, to improve their taste and to prevent the grains of sand from crunching on your teeth, you can once again thoroughly clean their insides from sand, silt, mud and other particles using tweezers and rinse the shredded mussels thoroughly under running cold water. Although in Japan, China and Korea, for the treatment of intestinal dysbiosis, the insides of mussels are used, subjected to spontaneous enzymatic treatment due to the enzymes they contain (Professor L. L. Logunov).

• Pour sunflower oil into a preheated frying pan and heat it.
• Place finely chopped onions in boiling oil. Bring it to a transparent state, stirring occasionally.
• Place chopped mussel meat in a frying pan. Lightly fry it for 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula.
• Remove the pan from the stove and cool directly in the pan.

• We use cooked mussel meat to prepare various salads and other delicious and healthy dishes.

Mussel salad recipes:
Salad with mussels recipe from Petr de Cril’on “Boat of Peter I”

Creative success to you and your loved ones in all areas of activity and, of course, in preparing delicious fish and seafood dishes!

Sincerely yours, Petr de Crill'on

Mussels are a healthy and nutritious seafood that has rightfully won its significant position in the cuisines of many European and Asian countries, capable of adding a special taste to any dish.

Seafood is famous not only for its taste.

They are rich in protein and essential amino acids, and all this, combined with low calorie content and ease of preparation, makes them especially popular among people of different ages.

Not every novice cook knows how to properly cook frozen mussels in order to preserve all their nutritional properties.

The most delicate meat of shellfish cannot be cooked for a long time. This is perhaps the most important rule; overcooked mussels will be tough.

How to choose mussels

These shellfish are imported into our country frozen.

It is very important to know how to choose the right high-quality product that will not cause harm to health, because seafood products can accumulate toxins and, if stored improperly, can cause allergies.

• When purchasing, pay attention to the external condition of the sinks; they should be intact, without cracks, and the doors should be tightly closed.
• Peeled shellfish should only be of a uniform light color.
• Cracks in the shell, a thick layer of ice on the wings and the dark appearance of the meat indicate repeated defrosting and violation of the temperature regime of storage.

• Ask sellers for quality certificates for products, pay attention to the date of manufacture and packaging.
• The “season” for collecting mussels is considered to be from July to February.
• The tastiest and fattest meat is from shellfish caught between the beginning of October and the end of January; it is by this time that the concentration of nutrients in them reaches its maximum, and accordingly the taste is much better, the taste is more intense.

• Inspect the packaging carefully.
• It must be sealed, without any damage.
• Remember that purchasing a questionable product can lead to poisoning.

Before preparing a mussel dish, the frozen product must be thawed.

Mussels in shells are poured with salted cool water and left to defrost in this form, usually one hour is enough.

The defrosted product is thoroughly washed to remove sand and algae residues under cold running water; it is advisable to additionally rub the shells with a sponge or brush to remove adhered grains of sand.

Cooking seafood is quite simple.

We throw them into boiling water, wait for it to boil and note the time from the moment it boils again.

For peeled ones – up to 7 minutes, for unpeeled ones, cook for 7 – 10 minutes.

Do not overcook, otherwise the meat will turn out tough and all the beneficial properties will be lost.

The liquid should only lightly cover the clams.

Pay attention to the shell doors; if they remain closed during the cooking process, it means the product is spoiled and should not be eaten.

Cooking mussels the classic way

Grind two cloves of garlic, finely chop the onion and pour into a large deep frying pan.

Fry a little in butter, add 800 grams of pre-washed shellfish to the frying pan.

Add 250 ml of white wine and mix thoroughly.

Simmer under a closed lid for 4 - 5 minutes.

All doors should open; we carefully inspect them and throw away closed ones, if any.

Pour in 100 ml of cream, sprinkle with chopped parsley, two pinches of curry, salt, and simmer over low heat for another 4 minutes.

Serve with the wine and cream sauce in which they were stewed.

You can cook according to the classic recipe not only in shells, but also peeled frozen mussels.

Oven-baked mussels in shells

Lightly simmer 500 g of unpeeled shellfish for a few minutes with a little wine in a frying pan.

The doors should open slightly.

Open the shells, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, put a little mixture of chopped garlic clove, olive oil, herbs, rosemary, and a spoonful of mayonnaise into each shell.

Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 7 minutes.

Place the finished shells on a plate and sprinkle with a little lemon juice.

This dish looks spectacular on a festive table, guests will be delighted with such a treat!

Stewed mussels in garlic sauce

Place peeled mussel meat (about 0.5 kilograms) with chopped onion and garlic (2 cloves) in a saucepan greased with olive oil, add 200 ml of cream, salt, basil, mix.

Simmer for 6 – 7 minutes under a closed lid.

Before serving, sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Fried mussels with onions

Ingredients: shelled meat – 500 g, onion – 1 piece, olive oil, salt, ground black pepper, 1 tsp. lemon juice.

At the same time, throw diced onions and thoroughly washed seafood into the heated oil.

Fry for 8 - 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring often so that our dish does not burn.

Add seasonings during frying.

When ready, squeeze in a little lemon juice to add sourness.

Creamy soup with mussels and shrimp

To prepare four servings of aromatic seafood soup, we will use the following ingredients:

• Mussel meat – 0.4 kg
• Shrimp – 0.2 kg
• Potatoes – 5 pieces
• Processed cheese – 200 g
• Spices to taste

We thoroughly clean and rinse the seafood.

Place potatoes cut into small cubes in a saucepan with 1.5 liters of hot salted water, after 5 minutes add chopped cheese.

Stir occasionally until the cheese is completely dissolved.

When the potatoes are almost ready, add our seafood ingredients to the pan.

Cook over low heat for 8 - 10 minutes.

Turn off, add herbs and spices.

This soup is best served with white bread croutons with garlic.

Pilaf with mussels

Mussels are wonderfully combined with various side dishes, which allows you to prepare a variety of delicious dishes.

Probably the most winning combination with rice.

For example, pilaf with seafood can be an excellent option for dinner.

• Long grain rice – 200 g
• Peeled mussels – 400 g
• Onion – 1 piece
• Carrots – 1 piece
• Bell pepper – 1 piece
• Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon
• Salt, black pepper, saffron - to taste

In the usual way, boil the shellfish in salted water until half cooked.

We drain the broth, which we will need later.

In a deep frying pan, fry the diced vegetables in oil, add the rice, washed under running water, and fry a little more until the rice acquires a rich golden color.

Pour in the broth, add a little more water if necessary.

There should be twice as much liquid as rice.

Now add tomato paste, salt and spices.

Cook over low heat until done.

Transfer the mussels to the frying pan with the prepared pilaf and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with finely chopped parsley.

The pilaf turns out crumbly and flavorful!

Julienne of mussels

While the mussels are defrosting, prepare the creamy sauce.

To do this, lightly fry two cloves of garlic, cut in half, in butter.

After this, we choose the garlic; we won’t need it anymore; the aroma that permeated the oil during frying will be enough.

Pour in 400 ml of cream, add processed cheese.

It is better to grind it, break it into pieces, so it will dissolve faster in the cream.

Stir continuously, bring the sauce to a homogeneous consistency, add salt.

Place approximately 700 grams of raw shellfish in a heat-resistant dish and pour in the sauce.

Cut the mozzarella into thin slices and place on top of the sauce.

Bake until golden brown in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Julienne is served hot.

Korean marinated mussels

The cooking process is simple and takes little time.

You can choose the proportions of ingredients at your discretion.

Boil the shellfish in salted water, drain the liquid, and cool.

At this time, cut the onion into half rings and chop the carrots.

Prepare the marinade: mix lemon juice, a teaspoon of vinegar, a little olive oil in a bowl; as a spice, you can use ready-made seasoning for Korean carrots, which can be found in any store, or simply season with ground coriander, garlic and a mixture of hot red and black peppers.

Add chopped vegetables and seafood to the bowl with the marinade.

Place in the refrigerator for an hour.

The appetizer is served chilled.

If desired, you can also use bell pepper as an ingredient.

Summer seafood salad

Ingredients:

400 g of boiled mussels, 3 fresh cucumbers and the same amount of tomatoes, boiled eggs - 3 pieces, a small bunch of green onions and dill, mayonnaise, salt.

We wash and dice the vegetables and eggs, finely chop the greens.

Mix all ingredients together in a salad bowl.

Bon appetit!

Those who love seafood will someday be concerned with the question of how to cook mussels. As a rule, fresh live mussels are available for sale, but you need to look for them - we live too far from the places where they are reared and caught. But, still, buying a package of live mussels in shells is not a problem. If you live near the sea, I congratulate you and even envy you a little, since I really love boiled mussels in their shells.

Marine bivalves of various sizes in characteristic and recognizable shells are widely used in cooking, both as an independent dish and as part of various salads, for preparing main courses and soups. As a rule, you can find mussels on sale artificially grown on various farms and in “mussel banks” far out to sea.

I noticed that we now have live mussels in packaging marked “wild caught.” The shells are small in size - 4-5 cm long, dark brown or dark blue, almost black. It’s surprising that shellfish smell like the sea, there is no pungent smell. They are exceptionally fresh and when boiled they all opened up. Before cooking, we just washed them.

Boiled mussels are very healthy. With an abundance of microelements and vitamins, an almost complete absence of fat and a colossal amount of protein. The most delicious mussels in shells are those caught in the sea during the cold season. In addition, such mussels contain practically no grains of sand - they are called “clean”.

There is nothing complicated about cooking mussels in their shells. It is important that the shellfish are alive, and before cooking the mussels, they must be washed well and the shells cleaned.

Among the abundance of recipes for how to cook mussels in shells, the easiest way is to boil the shells in broth, a mixture of water and wine, or simply in salted water. In addition, mussels are stewed in sauces - cooked, risotto, and they are usually included in paella. A well-known cooking method is a la mariniere, steamed with wine, garlic and lemon. Sometimes the shells are fried in a frying pan with olive oil and simmered, covered, until tender - a type of steaming.

How to cook mussels in shells

Ingredients (2 servings)

• Mussels in shells 1 kg
• Garlic 5-6 cloves
• Dill 3-4 sprigs
• Dry white wine 1 glass
• Salt, black and allspice peas, cloves spices
• Lemon for serving

1. As I already said, before cooking mussels, you need to clean and rinse them. Live mollusks in shells can be stored for some time in a special sealed package into which they are placed immediately after catching. The storage time in this case is about two weeks at a temperature of 0-4 degrees. There is some sea water inside the package.

   Live mussels in shells

2. Before cooking mussels. The packaging must be carefully opened - the shells should not have a strong and musty odor. Sort through the shells, immediately discarding any that are cracked or empty. It is convenient to wash sinks by placing them in a colander and placing them under cold running tap water. As a rule, high-quality mussels do not require special cleaning; just wipe them with a sponge and rinse thoroughly.

   Rinse and clean clam shells

3. Typically, a special pan with a high lid is used to boil shellfish in shells. But any large saucepan will do. Pour 1 liter of cold water into the pan and add 1 glass of dry white wine. However, you can get by with plain water. Wash the dill sprigs and roughly tear them with your fingers. Throw the unpeeled garlic cloves and dill into the water. Add 5-6 black peppercorns, 2-3 allspice peas and 1 clove. Add salt to the water - 1 tsp.

   Prepare a mixture of water and wine with herbs and spices

4. Bring the liquid to a boil and let it simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Throw all the cleaned and washed shells into the boiling broth, cover with a lid and cook on maximum heat for 5 minutes. This is quite enough. You should not increase the time - the shellfish meat will become tough. When boiling, a little foam will form, this is normal. In addition, the water becomes a little cloudy.

   Boil shells with mussels for 5 minutes

5. After the mussels are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large plate. Next, an important point - you need to inspect all the shells, discard unopened ones immediately - they are unsuitable for food. An unopened mussel means that it is stale and got into the pan by accident. When boiled, live shellfish “release” the shell flaps and it opens. You should also throw away empty shells - this happens.

   

Mussels, cooked according to all the rules, are incredibly tender, have a tart and fresh smell of the sea and can add a special charm to even the most ordinary dish. Thanks to its low calorie content and high protein content, this is an ideal product for those who care about their health and figure.

An exquisite delicacy for health and benefit

Along with such popular seafood as fish meat, shrimp and crabs, shellfish are included in the list of the healthiest food products and are recognized as dietary food by specialists in proper and healthy nutrition around the world.

The exceptional value of seafood is due to their high nutritional value, excellent digestibility, as well as the presence in them of a huge amount of macro- and microelements useful for the human body.

Modern nutritionists often use a conditional division of foods into complete and incomplete protein. A food product that contains the entire set of amino acids that are essential for the human body is called a complete protein.

A product that contains only part of the essential amino acids is considered an incomplete protein. Mussels and their habitat neighbors are complete protein foods. At the same time, shellfish have a fairly low calorie content in comparison with such protein sources as beef, chicken and sea fish, and therefore are recommended as a dietary dish for those who want to lose weight without compromising their health.

Comparative characteristics of these products are given in the table.

Table 1. Comparison of the energy value of products - sources of animal protein.

In addition to its exceptional nutritional value, mussel meat includes B vitamins, and the content of vitamin B12 in 100 grams of shellfish meat exceeds the daily norm three times, vitamins A, C, E, D3, as well as nicotinic acid PP.

Mussels are rich in sodium, phosphorus and choline, their consumption has a positive effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland, and due to the increased amount of selenium, these bivalves are considered a natural antioxidant and immunostimulant.

How not to make a mistake when buying frozen mussels

The “season” for these mollusks is considered to be the period from July to February; mussels caught in late autumn - early winter are considered the most delicious and nutritious; in the period from March to June, mussels have less fat content, and, therefore, lose somewhat in taste.

Supplier countries are Spain, Italy, Canada, France and Africa. In our country, only residents of the Far East can boast of the opportunity to enjoy freshly caught seafood. But, thanks to modern deep-freezing methods and the ability to comply with the necessary conditions during transportation, you can easily taste delicious mussels in any corner of the world at any time of the year.

If the preparation and storage of shellfish were carried out without violations, the defrosted product retains its beneficial qualities, delicate taste and fresh sea aroma.

You should choose such a delicate product as mussels very pickily; a product of poor quality can ruin the taste of the final dish and even cause poisoning.

When purchasing a frozen product, carefully inspect the packaging - there should be no damage to it; if the seal of the packaging is broken, then the quality of the product can no longer be guaranteed, especially for products in vacuum packaging.

Be sure to check the expiration date; at low temperatures, frozen mussels can be stored for up to several months; re-freezing is unacceptable.

Take a closer look at the contents of the package; there should be no snow in it, and there should be no thick ice shell on the shellfish; only a thin layer of ice glaze is allowed; it occurs as a result of “shock” freezing, which seafood is subjected to to increase their shelf life.

If you intend to buy unpeeled mussels, you should pay attention to their shells - they can tell a lot about the quality of the product, so you should refuse the purchase if there are chips or cracks on the shell of the mollusk; a slightly open shell indicates that the product is spoiled; this happens If its resident dies, such mussels cannot be eaten - the risk of poisoning is very high.

Remember, only high-quality products will benefit the body and decorate your table; if you have doubts about the freshness or quality of the product, it is better to look for a more reliable option.

Defrosting and cleaning mussels: doing it right

Before cooking, mussels need to be defrosted; there are several ways to do this.

Method one: place frozen mussels in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator, intended for chilled meat, and wait for natural defrosting. This method is the most gentle on the product, but the longest in time.

Method two: put frozen mussels in a pan with cool salted water and leave there for one hour, then rinse thoroughly in running water and cook according to the recipe.

You should not resort to accelerated methods such as a microwave oven or boiling water; we also do not recommend thawing shellfish at room temperature without placing them in salt water, especially in the hot season.

If you purchased unpeeled mussels, you should clean them after defrosting. If there are growths, tendrils and other unsightly things on the sink, they need to be removed. Afterwards, rinse the sinks thoroughly in clean water to remove any sand that may remain inside.

Cleaned and washed mussels are placed in boiling salted water. Almost all classic recipes for preparing seafood recommend using sea salt, apparently as a tribute to tradition; in the absence of it, you can use ordinary table salt. You need to cook until the shells open, usually this takes from 5 to 8 minutes.

The opened shells are laid out on a plate and the tender pulp is easily removed. Shells that still do not open after cooking will have to be thrown away.

It is worth noting that mussel meat may differ in color: yellowish, creamy or bright orange colors indicate the freshness of the product, while shellfish with a dark gray tint should not be eaten; most likely you have come across a spoiled or old specimen.

If your frozen mussels were sold peeled, after defrosting, all you have to do is rinse them thoroughly in cool water and boil them. To do this, you can use either plain salted water or aromatic broth, which will highlight the exquisite taste of your delicacy.

For the broth you will need 250 ml of dry white wine, the juice of half a lemon or lime, and aromatic herbs to your taste. Prepared shellfish are dipped into boiling broth; they should be boiled for no longer than five minutes, otherwise the meat becomes tough, losing its delicate consistency.

Mussel is a unique “pearl” of taste. Gourmet Recipes

Mediterranean style mussels

So, first we’ll find out how to deliciously cook frozen peeled mussels. Seafood dishes traditionally belong to Mediterranean cuisine, which is not surprising, since it is the Mediterranean countries that have long been engaged in fishing for shellfish and other sea inhabitants.

For example, the Spaniards prepare delicious paella with mussels.

For this dish you will need:

• 1 cup rice, preferably the basmati variety;
• Frozen mussels - 300 grams;
• Garlic - a couple of cloves;
• Dry white wine - 150 ml;
• Olive oil - 2-3 tbsp. spoons;
• Salt – 1 teaspoon;
• Spices: ground black pepper, chili pepper, turmeric;
• Cheese, grated on a fine grater - 100 g;
• Water.

Preparation: finely chop the garlic, fry in olive oil for a couple of minutes, then remove the garlic from the oil - you won’t need it anymore.

Heat the rice in garlic oil until translucent, add salt and spices, and simmer on the fire for a couple of minutes.

Why add water, wine, bring to a boil.

When the rice has absorbed the water, add the mussels to it, cover the pan with a lid and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes until cooked.

Sprinkle the finished dish with grated cheese before serving.

Other Mediterraneans - Italians - prepare aromatic pizza with mussels.

For this dish you will need:

• Frozen mussels - 150 - 200 grams;
• Garlic - 1-2 cloves;
• Tomatoes - 2-3 pcs;
• Olives;
• Cheese, grated on a fine grater;
• Pizza dough;
• Aromatic herbs: thyme, basil, oregano;
• Olive oil.

The finished pizza dough is placed in a baking dish greased with olive oil. Frozen mussels are boiled for five minutes.

The tomatoes are peeled, the seeds are removed, cut into slices, some of the tomatoes are simmered in a frying pan with the addition of mussel broth until it becomes tomato paste. Olives are cut into slices. The greens are chopped.

The dough is coated with the resulting tomato paste, boiled mussels and olives are placed on top. Sprinkle with grated garlic. Then lay out the tomato slices, add salt, spices and sprinkle with finely chopped herbs. Finally, sprinkle the pizza with grated cheese and put it in the oven for about 20 minutes, watch the dough for readiness.

Cooking frozen boiled mussels quickly and tasty

A simple and quick recipe with boiled-frozen mussels, it doesn’t even require defrosting them!

For this dish you will need:

• Boiled frozen mussels - 300 g;
• Olive oil - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• Finely chopped herbs (both aromatic herbs are suitable: basil, oregano, rosemary, and regular parsley);
• Finely chopped green onions;
• Garlic - 2-3 cloves;
• Cream - 3-4 tbsp. spoons.

Preparation: place mussels in heated oil in a frying pan (do not defrost), sprinkle onion and grated garlic on top. Stir, add cream. You can add salt to taste. Simmer over low heat for no longer than five minutes. Paired with a glass of dry wine, this is an excellent appetizer for a romantic evening.

Mussels with aromatic herbs, baked in shells

Mussels in shells look very impressive and taste delicious, and are quite simple to prepare.

For this dish you will need:

• Unpeeled shellfish (in shells);
• Salt pepper;
• Olive oil;
• Garlic, aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil);
• Cheese, grated.

Season the shellfish with salt and pepper, add olive oil, finely chopped garlic, herbs, and cheese. Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

A little more about mussels

When preparing any mussel dish, you should remember that mussels, like all seafood, cook very quickly, literally in a few minutes. If you miss the moment, their meat becomes tough, as if rubbery, but this can be corrected, just continue to cook the seafood, and after 30-40 minutes it will become soft and tender again.

Dry white wine is considered the best companion to mussel dishes; it harmoniously complements the fresh sea taste of mussels and makes it much brighter and richer.

Bon appetit and unforgettable impressions!