Seafood dishes are considered a delicacy. However, good organoleptic qualities are not their only advantage. They contain a lot of protein, due to which they have high nutritional value with low calorie content. Seafood remains at its healthiest when cooked in the oven. Mussels are no exception to the rule. In a hurry you can not only fry them, but also bake them. Baked mussels are lower in calories compared to those cooked in a frying pan, so they appeal not only to gourmets, but also to supporters of a healthy diet.
Cooking features
- Mussels can be found on sale peeled or in shells. The first ones are usually boiled and frozen and do not require complex preparation. It is enough to defrost and wash them, since sand and pieces of shell could remain on their surface.
- Mussels are often baked on the shell halves, so for cooking in the oven it is better to take them in the shells. In this case, the mollusks need to be carefully examined. If the flaps of the shells are slightly open, you should not take them, since the mussels in them are already spoiled. The mussels in the shells are washed thoroughly using a wire brush or the hard side of a sponge. Then the valves are opened by inserting a knife blade between them, and the stomach and muscle are removed from the mollusk. Sometimes before this the mussels are boiled for 5 minutes. During this time, the flaps of fresh seafood will open on their own; all you have to do is remove the top ones.
- Mussels are sold frozen. In order for them to retain good organoleptic qualities, they need to be allowed to thaw in natural conditions, without being subjected to sudden temperature changes. Trying to speed up the process of defrosting seafood using a microwave can result in it becoming rubber-hard.
- Exceeding the recommended heat treatment time can also lead to a significant deterioration in the organoleptic qualities of mussels. At maximum temperature (230 degrees), these seafood are baked for only 7-10 minutes. At 200-220 degrees, shellfish can be cooked for 10-15 minutes. The mussels are baked at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The cooking time and temperature for mussels may depend on the specific recipe, so it is advisable to follow the accompanying recommendations.
- Mussels are usually baked in sauce. Cheese, cream, tomato, garlic, saffron, curd, and mayonnaise are suitable. Sometimes mushrooms and caviar are added to the sauce intended for baking mussels.
How to choose the right mussels
Most often, the product is sold in boiled-frozen form, so they are prepared easily and quickly.
Important selection rules:
- high-quality and fresh mussels are always covered with a shell;
- The weight of the seafood should be natural. Do not take heavy specimens. Most likely they are filled with sand. Also, do not buy lungs, which means the mollusk inside is dead and most likely spoiled;
- choose a shellfish with a smooth shell that is free of damage and cracks;
- mussels smell only of the sea. If you smell a different aroma, it means the product storage rules were violated;
- When opened, the sink makes a characteristic click. If the doors open simply, then the product is not fresh;
- The acceptable color of shellfish is pinkish and white. Cannot be purchased with other shades;
- Regardless of the type of packaging, frozen seafood should not stick together. If the shells are glued together, then the product has been defrosted several times;
- do not take the product with a thick layer of ice, especially if there is a yellowish coating.
Pay attention to the packaging. If the package is torn, it means that the storage or transportation conditions were violated - do not buy such a product.
Pay attention to the expiration date; if it is coming to an end or has expired, then you cannot consume such mussels.
A simple recipe for baked mussels
Compound:
- peeled, boiled and frozen mussels – 0.25-0.3 kg;
- soy sauce – 60-80 ml;
- lemon – 0.25 pcs.;
- olive oil – 40 ml;
- ground black pepper, fish seasoning - to taste.
Cooking method:
- Allow the mussels to thaw by leaving them in the main compartment of the refrigerator for a while.
- Rinse seafood and dry with paper towel.
- Place the clams in a greased ovenproof dish, sprinkle with seasonings, and stir.
- In a separate container, combine the juice squeezed from a quarter of a lemon, olive oil and soy sauce. Beat the products with a whisk, turning them into a homogeneous mixture.
- Pour the resulting sauce over the mussels.
- Cover the dish with seafood with foil and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.
- After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil. Stir in seafood.
- Return the dish with the mussels to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
When serving, decorate the appetizer with a slice of lemon and a sprig of dill.
Calorie content of foods possible in the dish
- Altai cheese – 355 kcal/100g
- Gruyère cheese – 396 kcal/100g
- Kaunas cheese – 355 kcal/100g
- Latvian cheese – 316 kcal/100g
- Lithuanian cheese – 250 kcal/100g
- Lake cheese – 350 kcal/100g
- Aiaideus cheese – 364 kcal/100g
- Cheese “Altai” 50% fat – 356 kcal/100g
- Appnzeller cheese 50% fat content – 400 kcal/100g
- Gouda cheese 45% fat content – 356 kcal/100g
- Dutch cheese – 352 kcal/100g
- Maison Blanc cheese (semi-hard) – 360 kcal/100g
- Kostroma cheese – 345 kcal/100g
- Lambert cheese – 377 kcal/100g
- Lo spamino cheese – 61 kcal/100g
- Poshekhonsky cheese – 350 kcal/100g
- “Russian” cheese – 366 kcal/100g
- “Soviet” cheese – 400 kcal/100g
- Steppe cheese – 362 kcal/100g
- Uglich cheese – 347 kcal/100g
- Cheese “chester” 50% fat content – 363 kcal/100g
- Swiss cheese – 335 kcal/100g
- Edamer cheese 40% fat content – 340 kcal/100g
- Emmental cheese 45% fat content – 420 kcal/100g
- Etorki cheese (sheep, hard) – 401 kcal/100g
- Cheese “Yaroslavsky” – 361 kcal/100g
- White cheese – 100 kcal/100g
- Yellow fat cheese – 260 kcal/100g
- Limburger cheese – 327 kcal/100g
- Cheese with mushrooms 50% fat content – 395 kcal/100g
- Garlic – 143 kcal/100g
- Peasant unsalted butter – 661 kcal/100g
- Peasant salted butter – 652 kcal/100g
- Amateur unsalted butter – 709 kcal/100g
- Butter 82% – 734 kcal/100g
- Ghee – 869 kcal/100g
- Fried mussels – 59 kcal/100g
- Boiled mussels – 50 kcal/100g
- Salt – 0 kcal/100g
Calorie content of foods: Mussels, Hard cheese, Garlic, Butter, Salt
A simple recipe for mussels baked in wings
Compound:
- mussels in shells – 0.5 kg;
- mayonnaise – 140 g;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- lemon juice – 5 ml.
Cooking method:
- Thaw and wash the mussels. Boil water and place shellfish in boiling water. Boil them for 5 minutes, removing the shells from the water with the shells open. If after the specified time the shells of some of the mollusks remain closed, they will have to be thrown away.
- Remove the top flaps from boiled mussels.
- Place foil on a baking sheet and place the bottom shells with mussels on it.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing mayonnaise with lemon juice and garlic pressed through a press.
- Place a small spoonful of the resulting sauce on each mussel.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place a baking sheet with seafood in it. Bake the mussels for 15 minutes.
Defrosting and cleaning methods
The benefits of the product largely depend on proper defrosting. The most correct and gentle way is the refrigerator. The product is placed on the top shelf and left until completely thawed.
If you need to reduce the time, then you should salt the water and put the seafood in it. These methods are suitable for mussels frozen without the shell and in the shell.
Do not use a microwave oven or hot water for defrosting. This will significantly worsen the taste of the product and its beneficial properties.
Shellfish contain a lot of protein, so if you leave them in direct sunlight for a long time, they will quickly acquire an unpleasant odor and spoil.
Mussels in wings, baked with cheese
Compound:
- mussels in shells – 0.5 kg;
- hard cheese – 80 g;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- butter – 20-30 g;
- lemon – 0.25 pcs.;
- salt, ground black pepper, herbs - to taste.
Cooking method:
- Wash pre-thawed seafood thoroughly.
- Insert a knife between the doors and open them. Remove the clams and remove their muscles and stomachs. Rinse the sinks again and dry.
- Place shells on parchment lined with foil. Arrange among mussel shells.
- Melt the butter in a water bath, add finely grated cheese, juice squeezed from a quarter of citrus, garlic pressed through a press, and chopped herbs. Salt and pepper the products, mix thoroughly.
- Divide the cheese mixture among the clam shells. Crimp with your fingers.
- Place the baking sheet with seafood in the oven, preheated to 210-220 degrees. Bake the mussels at the indicated temperature for 15 minutes.
This baked mussels recipe is very popular. It is used to prepare appetizers even for the holiday table.
In creamy garlic sauce
A low-calorie product, which is available for sale all year round, will become a worthy decoration for a festive table if the necessary components are correctly added.
Ingredients:
- butter – 130 g;
- frozen mussels – 750 g;
- salt;
- parsley – 15 g;
- onion – 120 g;
- liquid cream – 250 ml;
- garlic – 4 cloves.
Cooking method:
- In advance, in any convenient way, defrost the seafood, then rinse thoroughly. There should be no particles of sand or algae left.
- Chop the onion and garlic cloves. Chop the parsley into smaller pieces.
- Place chopped butter in a saucepan. When it is completely melted, add the onion. Fry for a couple of minutes, then pour in the mussels. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add garlic. Stir and simmer the ingredients until the liquid has completely evaporated. Pour in cream. When the mixture boils, sprinkle with parsley and salt. Simmer for 3 minutes.
Mussels baked with caviar and curd cheese
Compound:
- mussels in shells (large) – 12 pcs.;
- curd cheese – 100 g;
- salted flying fish caviar (can be replaced with capelin, cod caviar) – 100 g.
Cooking method:
- Thaw the mussels, wash them, remove the top flaps.
- Place seafood on a baking sheet lined with foil.
- Place cheese and caviar in a bowl, grind them to obtain a homogeneous mass.
- Fill the mussel shells with the cheese and caviar mixture.
- Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 200 degrees.
With mushroom sauce
This dish is the best option for preparing a snack for a large company - this is obvious from the number of ingredients and photos. Calculating portions is easy, based on the information about how many mussels in the shells are contained in a 1 kg package of frozen delicacy. There are no exact regulations for the product; the quantity is determined by the manufacturer’s brand and varies from 35 to 45 pieces.
Required ingredients:
- Mussels 1000 g
- Fresh champignons 500 g
- Cheese "Russian" 150 g
- Hard cheese 50 g
- Sour cream 10% fat 50 ml
- Garlic 3 cloves
- Add ground pepper, salt and dried basil to taste.
It will take 20-25 minutes to prepare the ingredients to complete the recipe. Step by step:
- Thaw thawed shellfish, then wash the champignons with water and dry.
- Peel the garlic, pass the cloves through a special press.
- Grate the champignons on a large-mesh grater.
- To prepare the sauce, grate two types of cheeses.
- Next, combine the mushroom and cheese mass, add basil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Add sour cream, mix everything until smooth.
- As evenly as possible, so that the juice does not drain during baking, place the mussels on a baking sheet in the halves of the shell.
- Place a teaspoon of sauce on top - 1 tsp.
- Bake in an oven heated to 200 degrees.
Baking time 15 minutes. Number of servings: 9.
Energy value 100 g - 82 kcal; Bju in grams - 10 protein, 5 fat, 1 carbohydrates.
Cook's tip: Thaw mussels at room temperature. Never use a microwave oven. It will be faster to defrost mussels if you place them in cold water - this will not affect the taste, smell or quality of the product.
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