Hors d'oeuvres - Asian Style Mussels

Blog's Category: International, My Successes, My Own Fast and Easy,  Hors d'oeuvre

Asian Style Mussels



Intro

Traveling through web net pages looking through ideas for cold mussels appetizer, taking idea here, idea there, I come up with the recipe below. Modified to the point that from original recipe was left just one ingredient (shriracha sauce), I think I can totally count this recipe as my own. But what the most important, my guests and myself were very pleased with the final result so, that I have to post it and will be making it again and again because:
- it's fast and easy
- ingredients highly accesible and replaceable
- plate can be arranged few hours in advance (which is for me the huge advantage when cooking for a party)
- great as hors d'oeuvre
- not doubts, it's DELICIOUS

Variations

- Sauces are key ingredients here so It's better not to mess up with them.
As for topping - just your imagination is a limit. I used furikake (Japanese rice topping I can't live without, but that's a separate subject) I get from my local asian store, and also seaweed topping I buy there too. As these ingredient are not common, in a recipe, I offer couple alternative toppings which I'm sure will do the trick.

Taste Description

Depending on the amount of shriracha, it may kick up your buds really hard. The amount of shriracha I use below brings some moderate heat which won't steal from other ingredients - pleasant teriyaki saltiness/sweetness with soft creaminess of mayo and subtle flavors of topping will play great music in your mouth. Not to forget wonderful cheweyness and ocean taste of mussels itself!

How to Serve

It's served cold, on a large plate (or two!). FYI, my two plates were emptied pretty fast :( :)
If you want to serve them as hors d'oeuvre, stick toothpick into each mussel and make sure you have mussell detached from its shell , shell will serve here as small but beautiful disposable plate.

Asian Style Mussel Hors D'oeuvres

For about 35 large mussels: 

35-40 frozen mussels in a half-shell (I like to buy big pack of green New Zelland's)
1.5 cup of good mayonnaise (Hellman's or Kraft)
1 tsp shriracha sause
about 1/2 cup terriyaki sauce
2-3 tbs furikake (substitute with chopped chives or your favorite herbs)
2-3 tbs dried nari seaweed topping (substitute with sesame seeds)

- Arrange mussels on a baking sheet and bake them in a preheated at 380F oven for 10-15 minutes.- Remove from an oven and let it cool until it's cool enough to handle and separate each mussel from its shell (just for convenience of your guests :)) and erturn mussel back to a shell. 
- Prepare sauce: mix mayo with shriracha sauce and add drinking quality water by teaspoons enough to make sauce a little bit thinner to be able to pour it. It doesn't have to be really thin, think of consistency of hollandaise or alfredo sauce.
- Now, home run - arrange mussels on a serving plate, pour about 2/3 tsp of mayo sauce on a top of each mussel. Then add about 1/2 tsp terriyaki sauce in a shell. Then sprinkle both of your toppings on a top of mayo. It should look awesome. Enjoy!
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