Hen 

How mussels are eaten in shells. Restaurant etiquette: how to cook and eat mussels

There are many varieties of mussels, but our restaurants usually serve three main ones: Black Sea mussels, edible mussels and Gray mussels. True, the Black Sea ones are brought only a few months a year - this is due to their collection. Chefs try to buy medium-sized shellfish (weighing 10-12 grams, 5-6 cm in length). As a rule, they are delivered to restaurants frozen, since chilled mussels have a very short shelf life.

What they eat and how they cook

White is ideal for mussels. dry wine(it's good to add it when cooking). Be sure to serve lemon, French fries, croutons from yeast-free bread with garlic and classic herbs - thyme and basil. Mussels go well with lemongrass, coconut milk and other Asian ingredients. Clams are cooked in different ways, even on a grill and a fire, but the most common option is in sauce, creamy or tomato.

How to eat mussels

If mussels are served on a platter with sashes and sauce, then according to etiquette they can be eaten with your hands: you need to take half a shell with meat, pour the sauce over it and eat the clam, as if using a spoon. But at the same time, a special bowl with a slice of lemon or wet hand towels should be present in the table setting. And a separate bowl for empty sinks. You can also use tongs and an oyster fork, but mussels, unlike oysters, open easily and do not really need special tools. If, after you have eaten all the mussels, and the sauce is still left, then the shellfish cooked in the form of skewers on skewers or without shells is eaten with an ordinary fork.

You will need:

chicken bouillon- 250 ml tom yam paste - 10 g sugar - 5 g ginger root - 5 g coconut milk - 30 ml champignons - 20 g or 3-4 pcs.

chum fillet - 25 g blue mussels (in shells) - 36 g or 3-4 pcs.

squid (carcass) - 15 g Tiger shrimps - 22 g or 2 pcs.

tomatoes - 20 g bean sprouts - 15 g boiled rice - 60 g cilantro (leaves) - 2 g chili pepper - 1 g Preparation:

Peel the chum salmon fillet, remove the bones and cut into 2 x 2 cm cubes. Cut the tomatoes into cubes. Cut the squid meat in half. Wash the champignons, cut into small segments. Defrost the shrimp in advance, remove the tail, intestinal vein and rinse. Defrost the squid, cut into rectangular pieces.

Remove the seeds from the chili and cut into rings at an angle (1.5-2 mm). Rinse the bean sprouts in cold running water. Pour chicken broth into a saucepan, add tom yam paste, sugar and ginger root flakes. Bring to a boil and pour in the coconut milk.

Add mushrooms and simmer for one minute. Add seafood, boil for another minute and a half over low heat. Add tomato cubes and bean sprouts. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Gently pour the soup into a bowl, garnish with a sprig of fresh cilantro and add chili to make it hot. Serve the soup with hot boiled rice.

Lock-lacquer with seafood

You will need:

tiger prawns - 50 g or 4 pcs.

vegetable oil - 15 ml squid carcass - 50 g blue mussels in shells - 50 g or 5 pcs.

chum fillet - 100 g ginger root - to taste

rice - 110 g iceberg lettuce - 25 g cherry tomatoes - 12 g red chili pepper - 2 g lock-varnish sauce - 65 g Ingredients for lock-varnish sauce:

apple juice packaged - 120 ml soy sauce - 20 ml fish sauce - 20 ml black peppercorns - 1 g Preparation:

Defrost the shrimps, peel off the shells, leaving one link with a tail. Cut along the back, remove the esophagus. Rinse under running water. Defrost the squid, cut, unfold the fillet, remove the remnants of the entrails, rinse. On the inside of the squid fillet, make crosswise notches with a knife, then cut the fillets into rectangles 2.5-3 cm long and 2.5-3 cm wide.

Remove skin and bones from chum fillet. Cut the fish into small rectangles. Peel the ginger root, cut into slices 1-2 mm thick, and then cut across 3-4 cm long and 8-10 mm wide.

Defrost the mussels, rinse thoroughly in cold running water. Remove plaque from the shell. Boil the rice in advance.

Prepare the sauce: pour into a saucepan Apple juice, bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer twice (about 5-7 minutes over medium heat). Add soy and fish sauces, freshly ground black pepper and boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heating.

In a frying pan with preheated vegetable oil fry seafood and ginger root on all sides. The process will take about a minute. Add 15 ml of sauce to the pan, stir and remove from heat.

Heat a cast iron skillet, put hot in it boiled rice... Place a leaf of iceberg lettuce on the edge of the pan, on top - fried seafood. Decorate the dish with cherry halves and chili rings. Hot skillet set on a wooden stand, pour the sauce over the seafood (the sauce should sizzle when served).

You will need:

vegetable oil - to taste

Mussels are considered a food product that is not consumed by all people. And there are several reasons for this: - high cost; - allergy to the protein that they contain; - rejection of their specific smell and taste. However, there are gourmets who will never give up eating. of this product... They know how to cook it well, and therefore they gladly do it on holidays for friends and a little more often for themselves. In expensive restaurants, chefs are also very familiar with mussels and the way they are prepared, which delights regular customers who once tasted a signature dish that simply cannot be forgotten. If there is no way to visit such an institution or a connoisseur of shellfish, then you should cook the latter yourself.

The edible parts of the mussels include: the muscle, the mantle and the fluid in which each of them is directly located. Boiled clam meat tastes like protein chicken eggs that was hard boiled. Its color is usually gray, but it can also be yellowish. Due to the starch content, mussel meat tastes sweet. Buying these clams, lovers cook them fresh right away. The maximum shelf life recommended by experts is twenty four hours. If stored for longer, they may become unusable. Gourmets believe that shellfish can be cooked if its shell is closed, or if it is closed by exposing its muscle with a prick. Otherwise, you should not cook mussels. However, some can cope with the preparation of frozen ones.

Before you learn how mussels are eaten, you should read how they are prepared by amateurs and professionals. First, the shellfish are cleaned of dirt and algae with a knife or a special brush, rinsing them in clean water. What sticks out of the sash is called a "beard", this part needs to be ripped off. They are then placed in a pot of boiling water or wine. While they are boiling, their doors open and after they are completely ready, they can be laid out on great dish... Mussels are usually served hot or warm. In no case should you warm up the shellfish, because as a result of this, food poisoning can occur. If there are fears about cooking this dietary meal then you can go to one of the restaurants. Typically, they are mostly prepared in Italian, and the mussel season begins in September.

In the restaurant, mussels are boiled in white wine and served in pots to keep them hot for a long time. They create delicious sauces based on your own preferences. Moreover, you can create several dishes of this type: clams with red pepper and garlic, with cream or mushroom sauce... As a rule, they are served with dry white wine, which is considered the most suitable for the peculiar taste of seafood. Most often, those mollusks that were taken out of sea water from September to February are prepared. Caught at other times, they are not very tasty and are considered not ripe. Some lovers boil mussels in salt water, then take them out and water them. lemon juice... After that, they are immediately served with white rice. If molluscs are without shells, then there is no need to wonder how mussels are eaten, because it is quite simple.

But if they have not been removed from the shells, then you should learn to eat them correctly, as people who move in secular circles do. The main difficulty in extracting the mollusk is the place of its attachment to the valve, which is called the “leg”. You should not do this with a knife, as it will be considered bad form, as well as picking out mussel meat with a spoon or with your hands. But those who are familiar with table etiquette extract the pulp of the clam with a fork. At the same time, they prick the mollusk, turn it, thereby tearing the contents off the shell. If this cannot be done, then you need to take the sash in your hand and cut the attachment point with a knife. Some then use a spoon, picking up the pulp, but it may happen that the latter slips off.

In prestigious restaurants, where diners watch their manners and expect others to do the same, it is common to eat mussels using special tools. There are only two of them - an oyster fork and tweezers. With the help of the latter, the shell of the mollusk is held in a plate, and the mussel meat is scrolled with a fork, removed and then carefully sent into the mouth. In this case, the tweezers should be in the left hand, and the oyster fork in the right. This method is followed by everyone who knows how to eat mussels, keeping their hands clean, as well as other clothes. But the complexity of this method lies in the correct fixation of the forceps on the edge of the sash. If they slide off, then you should not grip the fork, but rather change the grip so that the tweezers firmly hold the sink. What is described in this paragraph applies to mussels with firm meat.

But if the mollusks were served on the table in a liquid state, then it is necessary to squeeze lemon juice onto each of them, a slice of which is usually served along with mussels. Sometimes they are accompanied by and special sauce that should be poured over the meat. The pulp is sent to the mouth using a spoon or other shell flap. There is another way to consume these seafood delicacies - regular drinking. In the second case, it is recommended to insure yourself with a napkin, holding it in your other hand so that the liquid does not get on your clothes. For the same purposes, you need to press the shell tightly to your lips and only then drink the liquid shellfish. While doing this, it is necessary to make as few sounds as possible so as not to show yourself ridiculous in a society where it is customary to follow certain rules of table etiquette and where manners are valued.

Mussel (mytilida) - type of bivalve molluscs, has a black smooth surface. There are freshwater mussels (more than 5 cm long) and sea mussels (about 5 cm long).

Even when these shellfish ceased to be a delicacy and entered the everyday diet of many people, not everyone knew how to cook and eat them correctly. A the process of preparing and serving mussels to the table has its own rules.

The health benefits of mussels

  • Boiled shell rock is a bit like the protein of a hard-boiled egg and has yellow with black edging. Since mussels contain a lot of starch, the meat tastes sweet.
  • It is a storehouse of minerals: there are magnesium, sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, boron, manganese, cobalt. Cobalt is very important for the process of hematopoiesis, and there is much more of it in mussels than in the liver - pork, chicken and beef. There is also an unusual animal starch - glycogen, which is an energy store, which also serves to maintain the permissible level of glucose in the human blood, as well as the digestive enzyme and other substances.
  • The calorie content of mussels is low - only 75 kcal per 100 g. Therefore, their meat is recommended for elderly people, as dietary product for people with atherosclerosis, in order to prevent obesity in diseases of the liver, gallbladder, diabetes, patients with anemia.

  • Scientists have proven that this particular shellfish is able to reduce the risk of cancer. It also helps prevent arthritis.
  • Eating boiled-frozen meat mytilid, you not only enrich your body with microelements, but also give yourself pleasure from the delicate and unique taste of the product.

How to cook mussels properly?

It is better to use fresh, just caught mytilida for food. The next day, it is still suitable, but the taste is lost. Remember the most healthy seafood- fresh.

If you bought unpeeled shellfish, then you need to rinse them with running water, clean up the adhered mud and dirt. Please note that if the shell remains ajar after knocking on it, then such shellfish should not be eaten.

And one more thing: if after thermal treatment they did not open, then it is also better to throw them away. Never reheat mussels, this can lead to poisoning.

Shell rocks give off a lot of moisture, so do not use a lot of water for cooking. They are placed in a large saucepan, poured over with water, then put on fire for just a few minutes. Spices are added. The kitchen is filled with a fresh mouth-watering scent of mussels. Served with hot broth and herbs.

Also, shell rock can be served dried, pickled, smoked, as part of salads, already peeled and in closed shells.

  • The most in a simple way it is considered to serve mollusks, strung on skewers, which are simply removed with a fork or immediately eaten from a skewer.
  • It's harder when mussels are served ajar for soup or as a separate dish.
  • To properly eat mytilid in this form, you will need special tools: an oyster fork and tweezers. The tweezers should be taken in the left hand, and the fork in the right, this so that your hands do not get dirty. The only difficulty will be getting the tweezers well secured to the edge of the shell. Therefore, it is recommended to check the reliability of the fastening several times before proceeding with the delicacy.

  • When mussels are served liquid, then the eating strategy is slightly simplified. The only thing is, be sure to squeeze a lemon onto the clam or brush it with sauce before eating. Empty shells are placed in a pre-prepared plate.
  • There are two types of eating: "drinking" the contents and using a spoon or shell.
  • If you stopped at the first option, then make sure that the liquid from the shell does not drip onto your clothes, for this, press the shutter to your mouth more tightly, and use a napkin. Keep it at the bottom of your chin. While drinking the mussel, make sure that the contents are not sucked too loudly.
  • If you do not like this type of mussel use, there is a second way - using an empty shell as a spoon.

As a rule, white dry wine, light beer, grape juice room temperature.

If you want to serve shellfish in shells, then cups of clean water and sliced ​​lemon must be on the table. Lemon is needed to treat the smell of hands. You can use regular tissues, paper towels, or wet wipes.

Mussels go well with all vegetables, especially with potatoes, mayonnaise in various salads, various cereals (rice, buckwheat).

You can cook any dish from shellfish, if you fry them or stew them with vegetables, add tomato paste, spices.

But many connoisseurs of this product prefer to cook them alone so that other ingredients do not interrupt their taste. You can also make a mussel salad.

Mussel salad

Composition:

  1. Mussels - 1 kg
  2. Onions - 2 pcs.
  3. Tomato - 4 pcs.
  4. Olives - 10 pcs.
  5. Parsley sprigs - 3 pcs.
  6. Vegetable (corn) oil - 2 tablespoons
  7. Lemon juice (vinegar)
  8. Ground black pepper

Preparation:

Overcooked shellfish meat should be mixed with slices of tomatoes, onions, parsley, olives. Add some lemon juice (vinegar). Add salt and pepper to taste.

A little practice - and you will no longer have the problem of how to eat mussels... You can truly enjoy a truly delicious meal with any company.

Mussels have long lost their status as an exotic delicacy, which is very difficult to buy, and for some people they have become almost a common food. However, there is a drawback to such availability of this seafood: you have to learn to eat it correctly, so as not to lose your face in a restaurant or, even more so, at a party.

How to eat mussels correctly?

How to eat mussels: the easiest options

As a rule, mussels are served peeled, smoked or pickled. They are brought on special skewers and eaten as a snack. In this case, no problems should arise: just pull the mussel off the skewer with your teeth and eat. By the way, if in a restaurant you want to emphasize your ability to handle exotic cuisine without using special efforts and without studying the complex rules of the meal, choose just such an option.

Mussels are supposed to be consumed with beer, or better with dry white wine. Consider this when choosing drinks.

Another easy option is to choose soups and other dishes that have mussels added. In this case, they do not have to be cleaned and rinsed or taken out of the sink - everything will already be done for you. However, the shells can also be found in the soup. In this case, they need to be pulled out separately, opened, the mussel should be eaten and the leftovers removed. When all the shells run out, the soup is supposed to be finished with a spoon, as usual.

What items should you use when eating mussels

If the mussels are served in shells, they will have to be removed from there. This is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance, but if you are preparing for an important meal or simply want to make a good impression with some etiquette, practice at your leisure. Tongs and a fork will be served with the dish. Take the tongs in your left hand and open the sink. Then hold the mussel with them, and with a fork clamped in your right hand, take out the clam. It is cleaned with the suggested cup of water and lemon juice, or with a special napkin or towel.

A more difficult option is to eat mussels without a fork. Take the shell in your right hand, and then bring it to your lips and suck the mussel into your mouth. This way of eating such seafood is much more difficult than the previous ones: you need to be able to eat a clam without making any noise, otherwise others may consider your behavior indecent. Try cooking the mussels a few times at home and eating them this way to learn how to do it right.

Pay attention to one more important point: if handled carelessly, shellfish can splash juice on you or, even worse, not on the table and on those around you. Therefore, you need to eat them carefully, not in a hurry. Don't worry: a little effort and you will learn to do it easily and naturally.

Empty mussel shells are supposed to be left on a plate specially brought for this. If such dishes are not available, place the sinks on the edge of your plate.

Many people have had to deal with a large number of black seashells on the coast more than once. This is what mussels are. They look the same as most bivalve molluscs. But still, unlike the rest of the family, mussels can attach to all kinds of objects.

The shell of mussels consists of two valves, between which there are no muscles to connect them. The surface of the shell almost always looks black and is smooth without any build-up. The length of mussels can reach, in some cases, 30 centimeters.

There are a huge number of varieties of mussels. The main ones are considered to be marine and freshwater. Mussel farms, moreover, give a good profit and high yield... Breeding mussels is not difficult, the main thing is to recreate their natural habitat. It is important to know what mussels eat. As a rule, they consume detritus and protists.

Sometimes small invertebrates and other unicellular organisms can be found in their diet. Depending on the habitat, environmental characteristics, season, food base and physiological state, each type of mussel has its own spectrum of nutrition. Nevertheless, detritus predominates in the food of the mussels. Researchers have also found more than 48 species of planktonic algae in the stomachs of these shells.

Mussels are classified as organisms with a filtration type of food. They "graze" in the water column, finding the food they need. Mussels do not hunt, but very often they simply attach to the bottom or bury themselves in the sand. They pass water through their bodies, thereby filtering out plankton. The diet of mussels is quite low in calories, in addition, the level of its consumption is also low.

But if you compare mussels with other types of molluscs, it turns out that they eat quite a lot. The metabolism of these organisms is very fast, and, as a result, they require much more food than other mollusks.

It is not difficult to keep mussels, what is already known to feed them. They need salty sea water. Mussels adapt perfectly to the surfing environment. They form a powerful coastal belt due to their ability to attach to various substrates.

Thanks to their device called byssus, mussels can attach to various objects. These can be rocks, sand, other shells, etc. Byssus is produced by a gland on the "leg" of the mussel, which looks like a bundle of filaments.

Mussels have been used as food for a long time. Their meat has excellent taste and nutritional characteristics. That is why the number of mussel breeding farms has increased dramatically in recent years. The creation of a natural habitat and an excellent food base for mussels will make it possible to make a successful business.