Quick and Easy Mussel Soup

Today we are going to start our cooking with a delicious  and quick mussel soup, and as a bonus we are going to add another exquisite recipe for pasta and mussels!!

Hi to all my fellow chefs from the east coast of Africa and around this wonderful world of ours.

This is an easy recipe where we have used canned mussels and store bought chicken stock to make this quick and tasty soup

Ingredients for Mussel Soup

• 2 - 3 cans (85g each) smoked mussels. (Reserve two or three for garnishing the soup).
• 200ml full-cream milk mixed with 200ml cream.
• 2 cups chicken stock.
• 2Tbsp chopped fresh coriander.
• 2 chillies, chopped.
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
• 3 - 4 Tbsp soy sauce.
• few drops of fish sauce.
• Extra fresh coriander to garnish.
• Lemon slice to serve.

Method

Put the mussels (including the oil) the milk mixture, chicken stock, coriander and chilies in a saucepan.   

Bring to the boil and cook so flavors blend well.

Blitz with a stick blender until the mussels are finely chopped.

Add the lemon juice and soy sauce and season with a few drops of fish sauce.

And you are ready to eat 10 minutes after starting this easy tasty meal, which always remains a favorite for busy people with little time to cook.

Plating

• Spoon the soup into soup bowls and garnish with the reserved mussels and extra coriander.
• Serve with lemon slices.
• A nice crusty roll accompanies this soup very nicely.

Pasta with Smoked Mussels

This is a simple dish, but packed with smoky flavor!

Ingredients

• 500g spaghetti
• 2 cans (85g each) smoked mussels
• 1Tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra chopped fresh parsley to serve

Method

• Cook the spaghetti until just done. 
• Drain, but reserve ¼ cup of the cooking liquid.
• Drain the mussels but reserve the oil.
• Heat the olive oil and reserved mussel oil in a pan and fry the onions and garlic until fragrant. Add the vinegar and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the sugar, drained mussels, chopped parsley and if necessary, season with salt and pepper.
• Add the reserved pasta liquid to the sauce, toss with the spaghetti.

Plating

Garnish with the extra parsley and serve with a fresh green salad and warm crispy rolls, delicious!

This article was printed from Home-Cooking-Haven.com.com

Oven Temp's

Cooking Terms and Tips

Al Dente: Usually applied to Pasta, means cooked until just done, but not soft. The pasta should still maintain some "bite:

Barbeque:  To cook foods over coals, known as a Braai in South Africa (The best in the world for this type of cooking).

Baste: To moisten food for added flavor and to prevent drying out while cooking.

Blanch: To cook briefly in boiling water to seal in flavour and color.

Bouquet Garni: A tied bundle of herbs, usually parsley, thyme, and bay leaves that are added to flavor soups, stews, and sauces but removed before serving.

Braise: Two cook first by browning, then gently simmer till done.

Bread: To coat with crumbs or cornmeal before cooking.

Broil: To cook on a rack or spit during or over direct heat, usually in and on top.

Brown: Two cook over high heat, usually on top of the stove, to brown food.

Caramelize: To Heat sugar until it liquefies and becomes a syrup.

Core: To remove the seeds or tough woody centers from fruits and vegetables.

Cream: The butterfat portion of milk.   Also to beat ingredients, usually sugar and a fat, until smooth and fluffy.

Cube: To cut food into small ½ inch cubes.

Cut In: To distribute a solid fat in flour using a cutting motion, with 2 knives used scissors-fashion or a pastry blender, until divided evenly into tiny pieces.  Usually refers to making pastry.

Croutons: These are tiny cubes of toasted or fried bread, used as a garnish.

Coriander:  Also known as Dhania.

Dollop: A spoonful of soft food such as whipped cream or mashed potatoes.

Dot: To scatter butter in bits over food.

Dress: To coat foods such as salad with a sauce.  Also, to clean fish, poultry or game for cooking.

Drippings: Juices and fats rendered by meat or poultry while cooking.

Drizzle: To pour melted butter, oil, syrup, melted chocolate, or other liquid back and forth over food in a fine stream.

Experiment:   Always keep to the basics, but, take out and put in spices etc. to your tastes.

Fines Herbs: A mixture of herbs, normally parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon used to flavor fish, chicken and eggs.

Glace: To coat foods with glossy mixtures such as jellies or sauces.

Julienne: To cut into long thin strips match-sticklike in shape

Macerate: To soak in flavoured liquid; usually refers to fruit

Picked Over:  If you are working with lentils or other beans you might sometimes find a few little rocks that managed to sneak their way in, picked over means to make sure there are none left in what you are going to be using.

Poach: To cook gently over very low heat  is barely simmering liquid just to cover.

Puree: To mash or grind food until completely smooth. Usually in a food processor, blender, sieve, or food mill.

Ragout:  The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat.

Reduce: To thicken a liquid and concentrate its flavor by boiling.

Render: To cook fatty meat or poultry - such as bacon or goose - over low heat to obtain drippings.

Sear:  To brown surface of meat quickly over a high heat, to seal in juices.

Simmer: To cook in liquid at just below boiling point, with only a few bubbles breaking the surface.

Skim:  To remove surface foam or fat from a liquid.

Seep:  To soak in a liquid just under the boiling point to extract the essence i.e. Tea.

Truss: To tie whole poultry with skin or skewers so it will hold its shape in cooking.

Whip: To beat eggs or cream with a wire whisk, eggbeater or electric mixer which increases the volume as air is incorporated into the eggs or cream.

Zest: The outer, colored part of the peel of citrus fruits.

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