River mussels

Introduction

Mussels are a general term for a class of animals in the Unionidae family of the phylum Mollusca. In some places, they are called mussel shells or clam shells. They live at the bottom of freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers, etc., half buried in mud and sand. Their meat is edible and can also be used as bait for fish and poultry and feed for poultry and livestock. In some areas, they are used as freshwater pearl oysters, and the main ones used for pearl cultivation are the triangular sail oyster and the pleated crown oyster.

The ways to cook river clams include stewing river clams with meat, braised river clams, stir-fried river clams, river clams stewed with tofu, river clams stewed with dried cuttlefish, river clams stewed with pig's feet with wild pepper, river clams stewed with black fish, ganoderma lucidum clam soup, and river clam tofu soup.

Nutritional value of mussels

The nutritional value of river mussels is very high, containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B1, and B2. Every 100 grams of edible part of river mussels contains 10.9 grams of protein, 248 milligrams of calcium, 26.6 milligrams of iron, 6.23 milligrams of zinc, 305 milligrams of phosphorus, 243 micrograms of vitamin A, 20.24 micrograms of selenium, and 2.3 micrograms of carotene. It also contains more riboflavin and other nutrients, and the total energy can reach 20.71 megajoules/kg. River mussel meat has good health benefits for the human body, and has the effects of nourishing yin and calming the liver, improving eyesight and preventing eye diseases.

The efficacy and function of river mussels

The shells of mussels can be used to extract pearl powder and pearl nuclei. Pearl powder contains 15 kinds of amino acids needed by the human body, which are roughly the same as the ingredients and functions of pearls. It has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, improving eyesight and nourishing yin, calming the mind and tranquilizing the nerves, reducing inflammation and promoting tissue regeneration, relieving cough and reducing phlegm, stopping dysentery and eliminating accumulation, etc. River mussels are suitable for people with yin deficiency and internal heat, such as those suffering from thirst, dry mouth and tongue, and red eyes; suitable for women suffering from asthenia, metrorrhagia, leucorrhea, and hemorrhoids; suitable for people with hyperthyroidism, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and lupus erythematosus; suitable for patients with cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, urinary tract stones, urinary tract infection, cancer and diabetes; suitable for children with chickenpox; suitable for people suffering from heat and thirst in the hot summer season.

Side effects and contraindications of eating river clams

Clam meat is cold in nature and should not be eaten by people with weak spleen and stomach, diarrhea or constipation.

How to make delicious river clams

Clam stew

Ingredients: 1500 grams of clam meat, 250 grams of pork belly.

Seasoning: 20 grams of Shaoxing wine, 1 scallion knot, 2 slices of ginger, 10 grams of salt, 1 gram of MSG, and 2 grams of pepper.

practice:

1. Wash the pork, remove the hair with tweezers, and cut into 4 cm long and 1 cm wide pieces.

2. Remove the mud from the clam meat, flatten the hard parts on the edges with the handle of a knife, and wash it clean.

3. Put the frying pan on fire, add clam meat, scallion knots, ginger slices, Shaoxing wine and a little water, boil over high heat, skim off the foam, simmer for 10 minutes on low heat, then add the meat and simmer together. After boiling over high heat, simmer on low heat for about 2 hours until the clam meat and pork are tender, add salt and MSG, remove from the heat and serve in a soup bowl. Sprinkle with pepper when eating.

Braised River Mussels

Ingredients: 600 grams of river clam meat, 80 grams of red pepper, 50 grams of pickled radish, and 30 grams of cucumber.

Seasoning: 5 grams each of chicken essence, water starch, and powder, 23 grams of salt, 2 grams of steamed fish soy sauce, 25 grams of salad oil, and 15 grams of beer.

practice:

1. Marinate the clams with flour, beer and 20 grams of salt for 1 hour, rinse with running water for 3 hours, cut into 5 cm long and 0.3 cm thick strips; cut the red pepper into 0.8 cm long segments; cut the pickled radish into 5 cm long and 0.3 cm thick strips; cut the cucumber into 0.5 cm square dices.

2. Pour boiling water into the pot, add the river clams and blanch on high heat for 20 seconds, remove and drain the water, add 20 grams of salad oil into the pot and heat it to 70%, add the raw materials and stir-fry on high heat for 0.5 minutes, add chicken essence, salt, and steamed fish soy sauce, continue to stir-fry on high heat for 1.5 minutes until the ingredients are seasoned, thicken with water starch, drizzle with 5 grams of salad oil and serve.

Stir-fried river clams

Ingredients: 500g clam meat, a few dried red peppers, a large piece of ginger, 3 green garlic stalks, a little basil leaves

Seasoning: 1 tablespoon cooking wine, tea oil, salt, 1 tablespoon starch water, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

practice:

1. First, sprinkle salt on the clam meat and wash it several times to remove the mucus. Boil a pot of water, blanch the clam meat, remove it and rinse it twice again;

2. Cut the clam meat into large pieces, add crushed ginger, a little salt and cooking wine and marinate for 10 minutes;

3. Cut the green garlic stalks into small pieces and set aside. Mix starch water and oyster sauce into sauce.

4. Heat oil in a pan and fry the dried red peppers on low heat until fragrant. Add the remaining oil and quickly stir-fry the clam meat. Pour in the green garlic and fried dried red peppers and stir-fry. Spray a little soy sauce on it for color. Pour in the starch sauce, mix well and sprinkle with perilla leaves.

Clams stewed with tofu

Ingredients: 500g tofu, 200g bacon, 500g river clams, 200g green vegetables

Ingredients: 10g green onion, 10g ginger, 1 teaspoon pepper (5g)

practice:

1. Wash and slice the tofu;

2. Wash the bacon and slice it;

3. Wash the clams and cut into small pieces;

4. Put a little oil in the pan, put the tofu slices into the pan one by one and fry slowly over low heat until golden brown;

5. Add 30ml of oil to the pan, add the chopped green onion and ginger and sauté until fragrant;

6. Add the bacon and stir-fry until the meat oil comes out;

7. Then add appropriate amount of water;

8. Add the clams;

9. Add tofu as well;

10. Slowly cook the soup in a pot over medium heat and remove the oil with a spatula;

11. Add green vegetables;

12. When the vegetables are cooked, add pepper powder and serve.

Dried Cuttlefish Stewed with Mussels

Ingredients: 1500g fresh river clams, 250g dried cuttlefish, 50g pork belly, 50g rice beans. Seasoning: 10g salt, 3g MSG, 8g pepper, 10g cooking wine, 10g shredded ginger and chopped green onion.

practice:

1. Put the river clams into a cold water pot and cook over high heat for 20 minutes until cooked. Take out the shells, remove the meat and wash it. Marinate it with cooking wine, shredded ginger and chopped green onions for 20 minutes. Roast the dried cuttlefish over medium heat for 3 minutes to bring out the aroma, then soak it in warm water for half an hour until it is soft and cut into strips. Boil the pork belly until it is cooked through and cut into thick strips. Soak the rice beans in warm water for 2 hours.

2. Blanch the pickled clams and take them out.

3. Take a sand pot, add shredded ginger and water, add dried cuttlefish shreds, pork belly shreds, river clam meat, and rice beans, simmer on low heat for 1 hour until soft, add salt and MSG to taste, add pepper powder, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and serve in the original pot.

Stewed Pig's Feet with Wild Pepper and Clams

Ingredients: 500g pig's feet, 200g river clam meat, 50g wild pepper.

Seasoning: 30 grams of vegetable oil, 20 grams of fine salt, 5 grams of MSG, 20 grams of white vinegar, 15 grams of cooking wine, 15 grams of ginger, 10 grams of green onions, and 1000 grams of fresh soup.

practice:

1. Scald the pig's feet to remove all the hair, scrape and wash them clean, cut the edges into 3 cm pieces, blanch them in water, remove all the blood and cool them for later use.

2. Wash the clam meat with salt and white vinegar, cut into slices, blanch in boiling water and set aside; slice the ginger and cut the green onion into flowers.

3. Place a clean pot on high heat, add vegetable oil, and heat it to 50% hot. Add ginger slices and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add pig's feet and river clams and stir-fry briefly. Add cooking wine and stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in fresh soup and wild pepper. Put it into a pressure cooker and cook for 8 minutes. Pour out, add salt and MSG to adjust the taste, serve in a soup bowl, sprinkle with pepper and chopped green onions.

Black fish stew with river clams

Ingredients: 150g dried black fish, 250g river clam meat.

Seasoning: 50 grams of vegetable oil, 10 grams of fine salt, 4 grams of MSG, 2 grams of chicken essence, 15 grams of cooking wine, 15 grams of vinegar, 10 grams of ginger, 3 grams of shallots, 3 grams of pepper, and 1000 grams of fresh soup.

practice:

1. Roast the dried black fish with coal fire, soak it in warm water, remove the bones and residual membrane, cut it into 0.8 cm wide strips for later use; rub the river clams with fine salt and vinegar until all the mud and fishy smell are removed, then cut it into strips, blanch it and set aside.

2. Cut the ginger into fingernail slices and cut the green onions into flowers.

3. Place a clean pot on high heat, add vegetable oil, and heat it to 50% hot. Add ginger slices and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add black fish and river clams and stir-fry until dry. Add cooking wine and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add fresh soup, salt, MSG, and chicken essence to adjust the taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, put it in a pressure cooker and press for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve in a soup pot. Sprinkle with pepper and chopped green onions.

Lingzhi Mussel Soup

Ingredients: 20 grams of Ganoderma lucidum, 250 grams of clam meat, 60 grams of rock sugar.

Method: Boil Ganoderma lucidum in a casserole for 1 hour, extract the juice, add the clam meat, simmer until well-cooked, then add rock sugar.

Efficacy: Treats dizziness, insomnia, chronic cough and asthma, loss of appetite, chronic bronchitis, and bronchial asthma.

Clam tofu soup

Ingredients: river clams, bacon, bamboo shoots, tofu

Ingredients: Onion, ginger, cooking wine, salt, pepper

practice:

1. Ask the stall owner to split the river clams, remove the intestines and gills, and use a wooden stick to loosen the edges of the clam meat;

2. Use salt to squeeze for a while to remove mucus, then rinse with clean water;

3. Put the clams into the pot, add water, onion, ginger and cooking wine, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, then remove, wash and cut into small pieces;

4. Shell the bamboo shoots and cut them into oblique pieces. Boil them in water for 5 minutes and remove them to remove the oxalic acid.

5. Cut the tofu into small pieces, boil it in water, remove it from the water, and slice the bacon;

6. Put the clams, bacon and bamboo shoots into the pot, add enough water and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 1.5 hours;

7. When the clams are soft, add the tofu and cook for another 5 minutes. Add appropriate amount of salt and pepper.

Medicinal value of mussels

River clams are also called river clams, river clams, and bird shellfish. They are rich in nutritional value and are suitable for people with yin deficiency and internal heat. They can treat women's fatigue, hemorrhage, and leukorrhea.