How to properly clean mussels at home?

Mussels are deservedly considered one of the most delicious and nutritious delicacies; they are actively used in the cuisines of many countries around the world, even if they are not typical for a particular area. When starting to create culinary masterpieces, you need to understand how to clean mussels correctly, otherwise there is a risk of spoiling the taste and aroma of a delicious dish. The approach will depend on the type of nutritional component.

Fresh, frozen and prepared mussels are processed differently, each method has its own characteristics and nuances. Proper pre-processing will not only allow you to prepare a satisfying and nutritious meal, but will also guarantee that you get the maximum benefit from the unique chemical composition of the meat.

How to properly clean frozen food?

When starting to process a frozen component, you must start by properly thawing it. To do this, iron the products into a bag, place them in a container with cold water and be sure to press down the mussels with a weight so that the shells do not open prematurely. The load should not be very heavy, otherwise the shells may crack and eating such meat will be dangerous.

The cleaning process itself looks like this:

1. For processing, we select only tightly closed shells; it is better to discard open items immediately. Place a quality product in a pan, fill it with water, add a few tablespoons of corn flour and keep it like that for an hour.Manipulation will get rid of sand that may be contained in the shells.
2. If there are tendrils on the products, remove them with pliers, pulling them towards the base of the shell. Next, we clean the shells of the mussels using a stiff brush.
3. We rinse the products again and immediately begin cooking. Cleaned mussels should not sit idle for more than a few minutes.

The classic option is to immerse the products in hot water and boil them for 8-10 minutes, until the shells are completely opened. You can add a little white wine to the broth, then the meat will be especially tender and aromatic. Only fully opened shells are served at the table, the rest are thrown away.

Rules and features of cleaning fresh mussels

Fresh product must be prepared on the day of purchase. If the shells need to be kept in their original form for several hours, then you need to put them in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and put them in the refrigerator.

You need to clean mussels at home according to the following scheme:

• First we select a quality product. Its doors must be closed; there cannot be any chips, cracks or damage on the shell.

Tip: Sometimes there are mussels whose valves are only slightly open. In this case, you need to press them hard; if they slam shut, then the mussel is alive and can be cooked.

• Place the selected products in a container with cold water, this will remove sand.
• Half an hour after soaking, we begin to clean the sinks one at a time under running water with a brush. Treated specimens are placed in clean water.

After such processing, boil the mussels according to the classic recipe or prepare them in accordance with other instructions.

How should you handle the finished dish?

Extracting meat from a finished product is a real art, and in the absence of appropriate skills, the process of consuming the delicacy can turn into torture. If the menu includes a dish of mussels, then the table should be set with special utensils consisting of tweezers and an oyster fork.

We take the tongs in our left hand, clamp them on the shell, which remains in the plate, and use a fork to carefully remove the meat. It is poured over with sauce and eaten. Used shells are placed on a separate plate. The whole procedure is quite troublesome, but after some time it even begins to provide aesthetic pleasure. The main thing is to act carefully so as not to splash the juice on others.

Processing mussels before cooking is the key to high-quality cleaning of the product, because it is not very pleasant to feel grains of sand on your teeth rather than juicy meat. It is highly not recommended to pre-marinate the product; it will lose its traditional softness and turn into a fragrant but tasteless snack.

We recommend reading the article about how to freeze fresh champignons at home