On the banks of many rivers, streams and streams in dense thickets, everyone is able to collect a certain amount of mollusks in shells. But many questions arise about the edibility, their usefulness ... and in general - what are river mussels? How to cook them so as not to poison and enjoy such an unusual dish?
River mussels: would not be poisoned ...
The main food product of river mussels are numerous microorganisms in all its diversity. Thus, these mollusks serve as original filters that cleanse the native pond. It is believed that the presence of mussels in the river indicates a certain purity of its waters. However, for safety, it is recommended to refrain from eating these mollusks if the water in their habitat seems suspicious in appearance, color, smell.
Edible?
Almost any river mussels are edible. You can eat those who were collected on the river, and those whose habitat is a swamp, and those who live in the lake - the main thing is that the water in the pond is fresh and clean. And one more prerequisite: deciding to eat just these mollusks, you should strictly and strictly adhere to the technology of their preparation, since (like living natural filters) river mussels accumulate a lot of unpleasant and quite harmful substances for the body. Thus, improper preparation of river mussels can lead to sad consequences.
Product pretreatment
Mussels can be harvested on their own, can be bought frozen (peeled and unpeeled). Frozen food should be thawed. Mussels should be thoroughly washed, and those that are in shells should be cleaned of dirt, sand, debris in all grooves, the fiber at the junction of the wings should be removed.
By the way, all sinks that did not open after the initial heat treatment should be thrown away without regret - the product inside is still spoiled.
When processing shells that have opened after thermal “procedures” (boiling, frying, etc.), the internal organs of the mollusk are usually removed, although there are lovers who consume this delicacy as a whole.
It's all for a picnic!
Imagine that during outdoor recreation river mussels suddenly appeared. How to cook them simply, reliably and tasty? Washed, peeled shellfish should be soaked in a mixture of water, vinegar (the latter should be 2 times more) and a decent amount of salt. Such a marinade will destroy the smell of mud and harmful microorganisms. After 20-30 minutes, you can start cooking - fry them on a wire rack over a fire. Fried open mussels are lightly sprayed with oil and salted. It’s good if there is Wasabi horseradish in a backpack or picnic basket and a couple of bunches of any greenery - this is the perfect seasoning for such a dish.
Mussel soup
It’s good to cook such a soup in nature from freshly caught mollusks - if they are poured out in a hot sunny place, after 10 minutes they will open. It remains to insert the knife into the leaf, turn and open the sink. Cut a leg from mussel - it is the biggest delicacy. What is remarkable for both sea and river mussels. How to cook next is no longer a question. Prepared meat should be washed at least three times in clean water. A strong broth is cooked from peeled mussel fillets , where 2 parts of water falls on one part of the mollusks. Spices can be added any, and preferably more. The broth should be cooked for at least 20 minutes so that the heat kills all possible pests and parasites. They say that such a soup causes a sharp surge of vitality.
Baked River Mussels
There are many options for how to cook river mussels. Cooking recipes vary both in processing methods and in the quality of the purchased raw materials - mussels can be used peeled or not, small and medium. However, quite the lyrics, it's time to business.
Take a couple of shallots, wash, finely chop finely. Peel and squeeze a couple of garlic cloves, grate Parmesan cheese (100 g) on a coarse grater, finely chop a bunch of parsley.
In a deep saucepan (always with a thick bottom), boil water, pour a glass of dry white wine, add chopped onion and lower the mussels. Cook at maximum heat for about 5 minutes under the lid, then remove, remove one (!) Leaf from all opened sinks.
In a separate bowl, mix the prepared cheese, garlic, parsley, a third of a spoon of chili pepper powder and half a kilogram of white breadcrumbs, pour 3 dessert spoons of olive oil and mix thoroughly.
Put the mussels on the baking sheet with the sink down, fill each of them with the resulting mixture and put in the oven preheated to 200 ° C for 15 minutes.
Braised River Mussels
Here, peeled and frozen, and in shells, river mussels will do. How to cook them in sauce? We will pay particular attention to this issue now. Boil a kilogram of mussels in salt water, strain, put in a pan, pour a glass of white “cracker” wine (can be replaced with pink or cider) and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Finely chop the celery, a small onion, fresh rosemary and thyme. Fry celery and onions until transparent in vegetable oil (preferably olive), then add chopped herbs to the same and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Grind two egg yolks with a glass of sour cream and pour over the mussels, then add the finished frying, a quarter teaspoon of red hot pepper, salt to taste, saffron and mix thoroughly. Next, you need to simmer the dish over low heat until thickened, stirring regularly and preventing the dish from boiling.
Such mussels with sauce are well served with fried potatoes.