Let’s immediately address the most pressing problem of preparing shellfish. Although some are afraid to prepare fresh shellfish, the rules for safe shellfish preparation are extremely simple. The basic rule is as follows: cook only well-closed mussels, and only eat those that have opened during cooking. Another very important rule is that it is best to use them on the day of purchase. When you get them back from the store, put them in the fridge as soon as possible. So a word of advice – on the day of buying shellfish, don’t stop for a coffee after the purchase. A last rule to keep in mind is to keep them in very cold water at the beginning of cooking, you can add a few extra ice cubes.
The trick is that the shells you buy and use must still be alive. And alive are those who are tightly enclosed in their shell. Open ones quickly begin to spoil. Before preparation, some, if the room is warm, begin to open. If you put them in cold water or tap them on the hull and they can close, they are still fine. So when you follow these rules, you really don’t have to be afraid. However, you can also buy frozen mussels that are vacuum-packed and already cooked, usually with only half the shell. However, they are a bit more expensive.
Seashells, even already cleaned, are no longer such an impossible purchase. They are not always available when they are, but they can be found in department stores and at fishermen or fish markets.
Why eat this dish? The main and most important reason is that seashells are incredibly awesome! Forget the myth that shells are squishy or rubbery. If they are, they are ill-prepared. Undercooked and overcooked are really not delicious. In fact, that’s true for most foods, so mussels are really nothing special. Bathed in a wonderful tomato-wine sauce, they are divine. One of the most magical moments of the meal is perhaps the dipping of the bread in this divine sauce. So be sure to serve your favorite fresh bread on top, as there won’t be a drop of sauce left at the end. She is so very good. Serve the dish with a large bowl of salad.
Shellfish are not only excellent, they are also healthy and cheap, and their culture does not pollute the marine environment:
They are an excellent source of omega 3 unsaturated fatty acids and are also rich in vitamin B1, protein and minerals.
You usually get 1.5 kilos of mussels in one package, they are vacuum packed in a larger white package with a transparent lid. Most of them are already cleaned and do not require much attention before preparation (see below).
Our Slovenian coastal mussels, from which the mussels in our stores most often come, therefore grow in the clear sea, so they are really safe. And yet, they do not travel far on our plates. In addition, seashells are marine-friendly, don’t need a lot of space, and are easy to grow.
Before we look at how quickly and easily mussels can be prepared for red buzara, here are some other great seafood ideas:
Simple fried calamari
Fantastic fish soup with lots of vegetables
Salmon with parmesan lid and roasted broccoli
Octopus with potatoes a little different
Whole fish with baked tomatoes
Shrimps in fresh tomato sauce
Mackerel salad with lime-ginger garnish
stuffed calamari
Even more ideas for good fish or. marine care is found under the fish label.
Find even more great and healthy recipes at http://www.sitfit.si/!
PREPARATION
INGREDIENTS (for 2-4 people):
1500 g fresh (or frozen) or dagenj mussel shells
2 tablespoons (olive) oil
1 small chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, grated
1 dcl of white wine
3 dcl of tomato purée
2 fresh tomatoes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
a bunch of fresh parsley
Pepper to taste
lemon slices to serve
PREPARATION
Remove the mussels from the vacuum packaging and immediately transfer them to very cold water. Add a few ice cubes if desired (if it’s really hot in the kitchen). Prepare another bowl of cold water. Rinse each individual shell under running cold water and remove hair if desired. Just grab them and pull, and they’ll pop off. If there is a small shell on the shell, carefully remove it with a knife. If something that has already stuck to the shell does not come down easily, leave it because it will not come off even during cooking. If the hull is still open after soaking in cold water, throw it away, also throw away any that are broken. Work quickly so the heat from your hands doesn’t tempt them to open. Then place each individual shell in another bowl of cold water. There they should wait for you to use them.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and soften the onion over the heat, then add the garlic. Stir and cook for another minute or so. Add the diced fresh tomatoes, then the oregano and wine. Stir and wait for the wine to boil (so that there is no more liquid). Add the tomato puree, most of the chopped parsley and stir. Pepper to taste. When the liquid boils, remove the mussels from the water and add them to the aromatic sauce. Stir well and cover the pot. Cook for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan twice in between. When the mussels open, they are cooked. Don’t cook them too long or they will completely shrink.
Serve the mussels with the sauce, add a slice of lemon that individuals can sprinkle over the mussels, sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and serve. In addition, it goes well with bread, with which you spread the sauce to the last drop, and a large bowl of salad. Seashells in sauce can also be served with spaghetti.
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