Is it possible to freeze mussels in shells? Recipes for mussels without shell. Sea and river mussels in shells: how to cook?


Tender mussel meat does not require long cooking.

If the mollusks spend more time than they should in boiling water, they will become tough and completely unfit for human consumption.

In any case, the pleasure that gives properly cooked mussel meat will no longer be. How to cook mussels to preserve all the charm of their sea freshness?

But you can rinse them with clean water. Cooking: as for mussels, it is ready for a frying pan or oven. He cook as soon as he opens. Season: Gray mollusks all year round, but from June to September they are less tasty. There are several varieties, including rose, blue and yellow.

Preparation: clean them with a brush, then rinse them thoroughly. Preparation: boil a large volume of very salty water or a short broth, and then throw the leg away. Cook for 3 minutes after boiling. Drain and then clean. Season: It can be found all year round, but is generally recommended from September to March.

How to choose mussels

For well-known reasons, mussels arrive in Russian stores in frozen form. If this is the first time you have bought this wonderful food product, you need to know how to choose truly high-quality mussels.

. Shellfish in shells should be whole, without cracks and snowy “paths” in the glaze. Otherwise, the risk is high that the mussels have already been thawed, which means that the nutritional value and benefits are reduced to zero.

Preparation: rinse and brush. Cooking: Prairies are often raw, but can be prepared. To do this, you need to use the same method as the mussels, which can be fried in a pan with water or wine, prepared at their opening. open them, then place the top. Then put the oven into grill mode. Place the stuffed prairies halfway, then rub over for 9 minutes. Be careful that the flesh is not brown, otherwise the prayer will be difficult.

Scallops are actually smaller scallop cousins. Preparation: Take the sink, open it and clean, holding only the muscle - the rounded white part in the center - and, if you want, the coral. Cooking: whether in a saucepan or on a planche, scallops just need to be eaten, that is, quickly cooked. Heat a pot or plate when it's warm, put some butter or place scallops. Leave a moment, turn them over, then release another minute.

. The normal color of mussels peeled from the shell is light. If the meat is dark, it may be spoiled.

. When buying, you need to give preference to products of famous brands, in extreme cases, check for certificates. The fact is that mussels pass water through themselves and have the ability to accumulate toxins and other muck, including deadly poisons for health;

To cope with cooking, follow the chef's advice: use a knife, walnut. This will allow faster and more controlled cooking. Sinks, we liked to take them when we were little, and we went on vacation by the sea.

When you love the scents of the sea, it's hard to resist a good tray of seafood, shellfish, or crustaceans. But it’s nice to love shellfish, I must admit that sometimes in front of a bucket of oysters, 7 liters of mussels or 2 kilograms of periwinkles, one remains a little puzzled. Skins, when you buy them as a fisherman, most of the time they are closed and full of sand and sea water. Therefore, before you enjoy them, you often have to go through quite amusing stages; to make them pop out or open them with a knife.

. Large mollusks are most delicious: they have more meat and juice. The packaging indicates the number of mollusks in relation to kilogram weight. The smaller this number, the larger the specimens are in the package.

Note: about one hundred grams of pure meat is obtained from a kilogram of mussels in shell.

How to prepare mussels for cooking and how to cook them

Frozen mussels in shell and without shell are prepared differently. In this case, you can pre-unfreeze the mollusks in a shell or not do this - a matter of taste. But in any case it will be necessary to wash thoroughly: sand and seaweed can remain in mussels.

And when someone does not know small tricks, it often happens that this is a galley. Mussels, we love to taste them with marina, with a little white wine and a particularly large plate of chips next to it! But before eating, they need to be cleaned and cleaned. To remove sand, which may be in forms, it is enough to soak them for at least 2 hours in a bowl to which flour or oatmeal is added. If it is oat flakes, Sand will be attached to it, and if it is flour, then mold will absorb it and throw sand away, and it will also be easily cleaned, we use an elbow and a scraper.

Wait until the mold shell is smooth. Regarding the molds, the cleaning and cleaning steps will need to be followed. Unlike mussels, sand in the bodies can be removed by immersing them for 2 hours in a water tank with two handfuls of salt. On the cleaning side, if rinsing with clean water is not enough, remove the sponge!

If you decide to defrost shellfish, you can do this like this:

. put the meat cleared of the shell in the refrigerator for defrosting for 2-3 hours;

. another option is to defrost the mollusks in cold water (this method is suitable for unpeeled mussels).

Thawed product should be put in a colander and rinse thoroughly with a stream of ice water. If you do not plan to defrost the mollusks, you just need to wash them, and rub the shell additionally with a brush to clean it of adhering sand grains and fragments of the ocean flora.

Well, when you have a husband or assistant who hangs around, everything is fine; they give him a knife and a rag, and that’s the job. Fortunately, there are two great tricks that open oysters easily without risk! The first is to soak them for several minutes in vinegar water or in which a little baking soda is added.

Secondly, put them in the freezer for 2 hours so that the cold opens them, but be careful: this technique can change the taste of oysters! When buying in bulk from a fish merchant, they often already get ready. To do this, they are soaked for 2 hours in salt water, thereby making the sand and dirt that they contain. After rinsing, they are cooked for 20 minutes in a broth with salt, pepper, thyme, dried seaweed, bay leaf and onions planted with cloves. Bubbles are tender, tasty and just delicious!

How to cook mussels? The first rule:   throw the product into boiling water and be sure to wait for a second boil. From this moment, count the exact number of cooking minutes so as not to spoil the meat.

The second rule: minimum water, especially if the mussels are already peeled. If you pour too much liquid, then a lot of juice will simply disappear. The broth will turn out to be rich, but this is completely unnecessary, since the broth is rarely used as food. To preserve the taste as much as possible, there should be little water: it should only pour a little meat.

In the periwinkles, all very small shells are very tasty, but they deserve it! Because, to savor them, the least we can say is that we must be patient. Finally, if you know how to open it, and yes: before you enjoy the small coral strips that carve the inside of its body, you need to pierce the sink sea \u200b\u200burchin. Good news: when you have the equipment, It is very easy! Just put on a good pair of gloves and open it with a solid pair of kitchen scissors.

On toast of toasts and butter   it is a real pleasure! Shellfish are shells that are perfect in soups or pasta recipes. But in order to avoid sand from entering the dish, it is better to clean the clams. To do this, they will be given a bath for 30 minutes in cold water, so they will make a good part of the sand and salt that they contain. Therefore, while marine debris that may be on the sinks are cleaned, they pass under the tap. After cleaning, stop cooking them!

When cooking mussels in shell, pay attention to the condition of the leaves.   If the set time has passed since the boiling, and the sash has not opened, this specimen can be safely thrown away: before you is a spoiled mollusk, not suitable for food. From the opened shell, the meat must be removed, flavored with an aromatic additive to your taste, eat just like that or use to prepare your favorite dish.

To make sure that our St. Jacques will be very fresh, we can only advise you to buy them still alive. This, fortunately, is a much less dangerous exercise than opening oysters, even when you're a neophyte! Then, when it is ajar, the blade is placed in the shell, and the muscle is cut off. It remains only to clean it under cold water: we keep only St. Jacques nuts and corals!

This is a sink in which we rarely have a chance to taste, so if our fishmonger has something in his stall, we are not shy and buy it! The knife for the legs cooks very easily: after that, cooked for 1 hour in salt water, washed and steamed with oil, garlic and herbs. Cooking should be gentle to prevent too dense flesh.

As for spices, this is a matter of taste. Someone likes the natural marine taste of tender mussels. In this case, do not drown it with foreign smells of the sea. Someone, on the contrary, prefers to shade the taste of mollusks with lemon, bay leaf, pepper, olive oil, garlic.

How much to cook mussels in shells

Mussels go on sale in three main forms:

Scallop is a cousin of Saint-Jacques, except that it is smaller than Saint-Jacques and that its flavor is a little delicate: pay attention to lovers and lovers! On the preparatory side, after it has been opened, it can be grilled, fried, fried or marinated: this is according to our tastes and our desires of the moment, but we do not cook them too long to avoid the rubber effect, and place it on paper towel before preparing the story so that he does not make too much juice.

Shellfish and crustaceans are nutritious foods that can be eaten in many ways. Shellfish may have a pair of shells or one shell. However, the main health risk is associated with mollusks that feed on filtration, that is, filtering organisms.

. frozen in shells;

. frozen peeled shell (raw);

. boiled-frozen peeled.

How much to cook the mussels depends on the degree of preliminary preparation of the product. The most interesting, but not very convenient option - shellfish in shells. The product is ideal for romantics who want to feel at the seaside or in a small Italian restaurant.

Canadians need to be aware of some facts related to the consumption of these products. Raw bivalve mollusks can carry bacteria, viruses, and toxins that can cause foodborne illness. Therefore, it is important to collect, store, process and prepare shellfish and crustaceans appropriately to prevent disease.

Children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with a weakened immune system are particularly susceptible to foodborne illnesses and should avoid eating raw or undercooked clams. The food intake associated with the consumption of raw shellfish may increase due to a decrease in the acidity of the stomach.

Unpeeled mussels in the shells cook for 7 to 10 minutes. If the product has not previously been thawed, the cooking time can be increased by 1-2 minutes. The traditional way of cooking in water is not the only one: mussels can be boiled in white wine or beer.

Traditional cooking method

. Pour two glasses of water into a pot and bring to a boil.

Here are a few steps you need to take to prevent foodborne illness caused by bivalves. The shells of oysters, shellfish, scallops, mussels and fresh shells must be hermetically sealed or tightly sealed if you lightly tap with your finger. The raw shellfish retailer should be able to show you the sender's label. Place the clams in an open container or on a clean tray to prevent dripping juice. moist and place them on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator. Raw mollusks can be chilled for several days depending on their freshness and quality and stored in freezer   within 2 to 4 months The peeled oysters should be frozen if you do not eat them for two days. Make sure that it is not torn or open, and that the number of ice crystals covering the package is minimal. If there are too many ice crystals, this may indicate that the mollusks have frozen for too long or thawed and then frozen again. Put the frozen clams in the freezer immediately after purchase until you are ready to eat them. Alternatively, you can defrost the clams using one of the following methods: Refrigerator Place the clams in a clean container or tray to prevent juice from raw juice. Place the container or tray on the bottom shelf of the Fridge to avoid contaminating other foods and boiling the clams as soon as they are defrosted. Method 1: With ordinary cold drinking water: thoroughly clean and disinfect the sink before placing the mollusks on the thaw. Wrap the clams with a waterproof plastic film to prevent cross-contamination. Use this method only if you cook shellfish immediately after thawing.

  • When you buy shellfish, make sure they are fresh.
  • Buy shellfish only from a reputable seller.
  • Cool the clams immediately after purchase and keep them in the cold.
  • Do not place live mollusks in a closed container or in fresh water.
  • Store the clams in a closed container.
  • Check the packaging of frozen clams.
  • You should never thaw clams at room temperature.
  • Throw water on the clams until they are thawed.
  • Place the clams in a clean container.
  • Cover the clams with cold water.
  • Change the water every 30 minutes.
  • Repeat until the mollusks are thawed.
It is important to leave the clams away from other foods in your grocery cart and refrigerator, thereby avoiding cross-contamination of food.

. After boiling, add salt to taste and toss 450-500 grams of mussels.

. After boiling again, cook the clams for 8-10 minutes.

. The open mussels are ready.

You can serve them in their entirety, without taking them out of their carapace and laying them out on beautiful plates. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice or put lemon slices on a plate. Additionally, you can serve any sauce and herbs.

If you need to use meat for cooking, for example, salad, the sash needs to be removed, and the mussels should be washed additionally with warm water.

Mussels cooked in white wine

Wine aroma piquant delicate meat. It is better to take inexpensive dry wine. You can replace it with a semi-dry or semi-sweet variety.

. Pour one and a half glasses of dry white wine into the pan.

. After boiling, lay out 300-350 grams of mussels.

. Boil for 7-10 minutes after boiling the liquid again.

Remove the prepared mussels with a slotted spoon from the liquid, arrange on plates and serve. Discard unopened shells. You can serve the dish with cheese or cream sauce.

Mussels brewed in beer

Mussels are often served with beer, previously fried in garlic-cheese sauce. However, the foamy drink itself can be an excellent medium for boiling mussels in the sink. It is advisable to use spicy dark beer: it has a special aroma that goes well with the taste of clam meat. Optionally, you can take light beers.

. Pour two glasses of beer into the pan.

. When the drink begins to boil, gently lower there 450 grams of thawed mussels.

. Boil for 5-6 minutes.

Serve with lemon and garlic appetizer. Optionally offer a glass of chilled beer to the mussels.

How to cook frozen mussels without shell

If you don’t feel like messing with the romance of the shells, you can buy freshly peeled mussels that are already peeled. How to cook mussels without a shell? After boiling, it will take no more than 7 minutes if the product is used unfrozen. Pre-thawed mussel meat is cooked for no more than 5 minutes.

How to cook frozen mussels?   The traditional way of cooking in water is no different from the above. It is necessary to bring to a boil a small amount of water and lower the clams there. Use meat for cooking main dishes.

More interesting is the cooking method, in which mussels become a separate dish.

Mussels cooked in wine with spices

. Bring one and a half glasses of dry white wine to a boil.

. When it boils, put some spices for seafood in water, add salt to taste, add pepper.

. If you want to shade the sea taste even stronger, seasonal greens are allowed.

. Dip with boiling wine 300 grams of mussels.

. Cook for five minutes under the lid over very low heat.

Remove the prepared mussels with a slotted spoon and serve as a dish on your own. Decorate a plate with lemon slices. Fresh lemon juice, which you can flavor the dish, goes well with the taste of seafood.

Mussels cooked in milk

Unusual, but very tasty combination of marine taste with the aroma of milk. How to cook frozen mussels in milk?

. Pour a little milk into the stewpan (a glass and a half).

. When the milk begins to boil, salt it.

. Lower the mussels (300-400 grams is enough) and when stirring so that the milk does not boil, boil the clam meat for no more than five minutes.

In this way, you can cook clams with a sink, increasing the cooking time, respectively, by 5-7 minutes.

How to cook boiled-frozen mussels

A dish of almost instant cooking - popular boiled mussels frozen after cooking. In fact, they do not need heat treatment, but, you see, I do not really want to use them in this form (even after defrosting). Therefore, before serving, the finished product needs a little refreshment.

How to cook boiled-frozen mussels?   Just boil the water, salt it, lower the mussels and hold it after boiling for no more than two, maximum three minutes in boiling salted water. You can add herbs, spices or fresh herbs to your taste. Then recline in a colander, let the water drain and cook according to a further recipe.

There is another way to cook ready-made frozen clams: in olive oil.   How to cook boiled-frozen mussels this way?

. Pour an incomplete glass of olive oil (about two-thirds) into the stewpan.

. Put a spoonful of spices for fish or seafood, mix.

. Add a clove of garlic if desired (optional).

. When the oil begins to boil, put a package of mussels and warm in boiling oil for 2-3 minutes.

Put the mussels boiled in this way on a paper towel so that the excess oil is gone. Serve with herbs as an independent, very juicy and tender dish.

Mussels are extremely healthy, tender and delicious mussels. Dishes with mussel meat can be found in the cuisines of many countries. Rich in vitamins and minerals, healthy mussels strengthen immunity, stimulate metabolism. There are many cooking options - they are boiled, stewed in sauces, fried in oil, salads and snacks are prepared. In countries far from the coast, few people know how to cook fresh mussels, the easiest and most nutritious way - in shells.

   To cook fresh mussels in shells, you will need:
  • Mussels in shells, always fresh - 1 kg;
  • Water - 1 L;
  • Salt and spices;
  • Juice of 1 lemon.
   Rinse the mussels thoroughly, with a knife, remove growths, the remains of algae, sand, limestone deposits from shells. At the same time ajar sinks must be thrown away. The leaves of fresh and edible mussels should be tightly closed. Boil water, add salt, spices and lemon juice to it. Put the prepared mussels in a large pot and a small amount of boiling water - the top of the shells should remain on the surface. Boil the mussels for about 5 minutes, during which time their leaves should open, and the meat should be cooked. We take out only open mussels from the water, unopened mussels - throw them out. Ready meat is suitable for salad, it can be removed, put in one of the leaves and sprinkle with lemon.


   Highly delicious recipe   mussels in shells stewed in a sauce - garlic or wine. You will need:
  • Mussels in shells - 1 kg;
  • Lemon - 1 pc;
  • Olive oil - 80 ml;
  • Garlic - 5 cloves;
  • Salt, spices;
  • Greens - dill, parsley.


   Mussels should be washed well, as in the previous recipe, put in a pan with a small amount of water and heat until the leaves open, then remove. Cooking garlic Sause   - Pour olive oil into a skillet and dip the garlic cloves into the oil. Stir until you smell the garlic, remove the garlic itself, and put the mussels in the oil, after removing the upper leaf. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice, cover with finely chopped greens on top of the mussels, add spices. They should be extinguished by closing the lid for 6-7 minutes. We put the finished ones on a dish, sprinkle with lemon and serve with white wine.


   One recipe option is stewing mussels in wine sauce instead of garlic. Tasty secret - boil them in shells by adding 1 glass of wine to 1 glass of water. Shellfish will acquire a delicate taste and aroma of white wine. Mussels baked in the oven are also delicious, with grated tomatoes, bread crumbs, parsley in olive oil. It is easy to make a salad with vegetables, herbs and tender mussel meat. There are a lot of recipes, the main thing is to find the one that suits you. Dishes from mussels cannot be stored, they quickly deteriorate, low-quality mussels are easily poisoned. But you can keep fresh mussels in shells, in the refrigerator, wrapped in a towel. Freezing mussels for a period of 3 months is also permissible, for this, pour a little water in a container with them.


Mussels - easy to prepare, nutritious, tasty and aromatic seafood. Most often they are served in Belgium, where it is a national dish. In combination with cold wine, mollusks turn into a delicate delicacy.