Today we will talk about how to cook mussels in a shell, what their benefits are for a person and how they can do harm. Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to eat them or is it better to abandon the beloved delicacy. And also with what dishes can be prepared using these underwater inhabitants.
What it is?
Before we talk about how to cook mussels in a shell, we will tell you about the seafood itself. It is believed that this is a very healthy, healthy food that contains a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals at a low calorie content. Marine bivalves live in all oceans and seas, and today there are even special farms on which they are grown for the food industry. The production of mollusks takes a year and a half. It takes so much time for seafood to grow to marketable size.
Mussels in shells are sold, the recipe for their preparation involves the use of only tightly closed mollusks, without damaging the hard shell. They should smell of the sea, this is a sure sign that the mussels are fresh. If, at the end of cooking, the sash remains closed, it is strictly forbidden to eat such seafood. In stores, boiled clams and then frozen are most often sold. Before cooking, they should be thawed at room temperature and always smell: if the smell is extraneous, 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 how much of the mollusk is edible. Muscle (meat), liquid and mantle are suitable for food. This is a very tender and sweet meat. The muscle that opens and closes the leaflets is, in principle, not toxic, but it is stiff and tasteless.
Sea inhabitants are prepared in various ways: boiled, stewed, fried, baked, salted, smoked. They are part of various dishes, and are also an independent dish or appetizer. Mussels that have undergone heat treatment should be eaten right away, they cannot be stored or reheated: this is fraught with poisoning. Only short-term heat treatment is allowed before opening the leaves, and then quick freezing: you can store seafood for three months.
Some recipes
Now it's time to tell how to cook mussels in a shell. The easiest way is to weld them. For 1 kg of shellfish, you need to take a liter of water, the juice of one lemon, salt and other spices to taste. Seafood is thoroughly washed, clean shells from limestone, suction cups, sand and algae. If ajar sashes are found, then the mussels are ruthlessly thrown away. Boil water with spices and lemon juice, pour the clams with it so that the shells are not covered. Keep on fire for no more than five minutes and remove.
Recipe number 2: mussels in a sauce. Per kilogram of seafood you will need:
- one lemon;
- 80 ml of vegetable oil (preferably olive);
- five cloves of garlic;
- herbs and spices to taste.
Washed and sampled mollusks are poured with boiling water and warmed up until the wings open slightly, after which they are removed. While the mussels are boiling, prepare the sauce: put the garlic cloves into the heated oil until a light aroma appears. Then we take out the teeth and lower the seafood without the upper leaf. Squeeze a lemon there, add chopped herbs and spices. Stew under the lid 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.
The third way. It is very simple to cook mussels in shells in the oven according to the French recipe. The ingredients are the same: a kilogram of shellfish, spices and salt to taste, fresh herbs, lemon juice and hot chili. So, we wash and sort out seafood, clean the shells. Now put them on a baking sheet, pan or on hot coals and fry for 10-15 minutes. Next, transfer them to a dish, sprinkle with lemon juice, sprinkle with herbs and pepper. You can eat them with wine or beer, as well as without anything. Enjoy your meal!
Benefit and harm
So, how to cook mussels in a shell, the reader already knows. 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 salts, fatty acids and amino acids, vitamins A, B, PP, B12. The use of mussels positively affects the thyroid gland, nervous system, blood circulation, and helps to eliminate toxins from the body.
The harm of mollusks is that they can contain poison if grown under the wrong conditions. Also deep in the tissues can be sand, which adversely affects tooth enamel when consumed.
Contraindications
How to cook mussels in shells, we figured out, now we will find out whether everyone can eat them. In principle, everyone can eat this seafood. The exceptions are two cases: when there is an individual intolerance or allergy, as well as if a person suffers from clotting disorders. If there are no contraindications, you should still eat mussels in moderation, especially if you are not accustomed to such food since childhood.