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Busog! Sarap! DEEP FRIED BATTERED MUSSELS

BATTERED MUSSELS © BUSOG! SARAP! 2010

During the long Easter Holiday period, we had the chance to go to our two favourite seafood places, Fish Factory and Raptis.    Because they are only a few blocks away from each other we had the time to compare prices before buying our items.  We bought some octopus, uncleaned mussels, banana prawns, cooked Moreton bay bugs, a dozen Sydney oysters, marinara mix and salmon pieces.  The Moreton bay bugs and oysters, Mr. H and Miss M ate that evening with some vinegar dip, they love those stuff (I don’t particularly like eating raw oysters, I get goose bumps on the back of my neck every time I eat them!).  The rest of the seafood I have cooked one by one during that Easter weekend.  I’ll be posting the recipes I’ve used during this coming 2 weeks (I’m giving myself a deadline…LOL!).

UNCLEANED MUSSELS © BUSOG! SARAP! 2010

I purchased 2kg of frozen uncleaned mussels, usually I always buy those big boxes of frozen cleaned half shelled New Zealand mussels.  I was a bit scared and excited at the same time as I haven’t really cleaned something like this before.  I got  2 large bowls of cold water, in the first bowl, that’s where I scrubbed the outer shells and quickly rinsed it.  Using both of my hands I tried to pry open the shells apart….argghhhh! I broke them!  I tried this method three times.  Then I grabbed my small knife and try to slide it around the lips of the mussels, no luck!  I got mangled mussel meat.  And then I accidentally severed the white muscle away from one of the mussel shells.  HOLY GUACAMOLE!!! that side of the shell gave way.  You should see my face, smirking while cleaning the mussels in the sink…..Cusinera won, Mussels lost!

I rinsed the half shelled mussels in the 2nd bowl, cleaning the grits/sands and pulling the beard at the same time.  I’ve pile the cleaned mussels in a large colander to drain the excess liquid.  At first, my plan was to use all of the half shelled mussels for my Baked Mussels (Baked Tahong) post but decided to just use half of it and use the other half in Deep Fried Battered Mussels as I never cooked them before.

TAHONG (Mussels) © BUSOG! SARAP! 2010 Cusinera’s 1st cleaned half shelled mussels!

 

Busog! Sarap! Deep Fried Battered Mussels

INGREDIENTS:

20 cleaned half shelled mussels

 

1 tspn baking powder

1 tspn cornflour

1/2 cup plain flour

1 1/2 tbspn cooking oil

1/4 cup + 1 tbspn water

 

oil for deep frying

Red Onion & Garlic Vinegar Dipping Sauce

*used AUS Measuring Cups & Spoons

COOKING PROCEDURE:

BATTERED MUSSELS Step1 © BUSOG! SARAP! 2010

~  Extract the mussel meat intact and drain in kitchen paper towels.  Cover lightly with extra cornflour (optional).

BATTERED MUSSELS Step2 © BUSOG! SARAP! 2010

~  Combine baking powder, cornflour, plain flour, cooking oil and water.  Mix the ingredients until you have a smooth thick batter.  Chill it in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

BATTERED MUSSELS Step3 © BUSOG! SARAP! 2010

~  Heat saucepan in high heat and once the oil is hot enough lower it into medium-high.  Using a soup spoon, plunge the mussels one by one into the batter and make sure that the mussels are well covered in batter before dropping them in the hot oil.

BATTERED MUSSELS Step4 © BUSOG! SARAP! 2010

~  Once you dropped the mussels in the hot oil, make sure you turn them over so that the top side can be evenly cooked.  Cook them until golden brown and crispy.  Drain them in kitchen paper towels.

BATTERED MUSSELS PIC2© BUSOG! SARAP! 2010

~  Place in a serving dish and serve freshly cooked.

 

BEST WITH:  Red Onion & Garlic Vinegar Dipping Sauce, Sawsawang Pipino, Sukang Iloco with Red Onion & Garlic or Chili & Garlic Vinegar Dipping Sauce.

NOTES:

  • I find this home cleaned mussels much sweeter and tender than my regular handy frozen half shelled New Zealand mussels.
  • Make sure you fully dry the mussels  with the kitchen paper towels *gently* to prevent spattering of hot oil while deep frying.
  • You can use oysters too instead of mussels.

4 comments :

  1. Those mussels look extremely fattening but delicious! Reminds me very much of home!

    ReplyDelete
  2. deep fried oysters sounds delicious.... :O)

    ReplyDelete
  3. @trissa~ I know=) they are sooo bad! but so good, I drowned my 3 pieces with lots of red onion bits and vinegar to convince myself that it will counteract the calories...LOL

    @betty~ Oh yes! they are delicious but only good to eat once in awhile...thanks for dropping by=)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have never tried deep fried mussels before. I have tried the baked ones though and they are delicious. It looks great.

    ReplyDelete

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