I do not cook mussels or tahong all the time. But when I get to the grocery early, and I see some nice looking ones, I grab the chance and buy some so we could eat easy baked tahong (mussels).
Baked mussels is one of the easiest dishes to make, except of course for the cleaning and de-bearding part. I think every nanay has her own way of preparing tahong and mine I think is somehow simple, and has passed the test – no sick tummies after the meal.
Preparing to cook easy baked tahong
So what I do is i wash the mussels thoroughly in water and rock salt. Let it stand a bit and then after a while start the de-bearding process.
I use either a knife or kitchen shears to get the beard out fully. For those who arent familiar with this, try looking for some strands of hair around the shell’s opening and pull it out with your hand, or knife or shears. Whatever works for you. They say that eating mussels without removing the *beard* can cause indigestion. Besides, it looks yucky.
Look at these photos:
Anyway, after that, i brush the dirty looking shells and then give it another wash. I then boil it until all the shells are opened. Discard those that did not open up as these are not fresh.
Once cooked, you can then remove the empty half of the shell so as to prepare it for the toppings of your baked tahong.
Ingredients for the baked tahong recipe:
-
Pre-cooked Mussels or tahong (1kg)
- Butter (1/2 cup or one stick)
- Minced Garlic (6 medium sized cloves)
- Quick melt cheese (or any cheese that you prefer), grated (1 cup or more)
- Chopped Parsley or parsley flakes
- Chopped spring onions
Cooking Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Soften butter and mix minced garlic thoroughly.
3. Spoon a bit of the mixture into each tahong.
4. Top generously with cheese
5. Sprinkle some parsley flakes and spring onions on top.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes.
7. Serve with hot sauce on the side.
So there you have it, i hope you’d give this dish a try. You will not spend more than P230.00 to make this dish and it is a great appetizer!
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Leaving you with a video on yet another tahong recipe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtPkFYj99OU
http://happypinaymommy.com/2018/04/27/how-to-make-basic-overnight-oats/
