Baked Mussels Recipe – Cheesy Mayo Mussels
Baked Mussels are a quick and easy way to impress guests when entertaining. This recipe is a little more involved than the traditional baked mussels (Dynamite Mussels) but it still takes less than 25 minutes to prepare.
Make sure you use blanched frozen New Zealand green-shell mussels on the half shell and capelin roe, preferably from your local Asian grocery store. This ensures the mussels will open up while baking.
Ingredients of Baked Mussels
You’ll need some frozen New Zealand green mussels in the half shell and masago roe for this recipe. Usually, they’re available in the frozen seafood section of your local Asian grocery store. Look for blanched ones if possible, they’re easier to cook since they’ve been steamed or boiled in advance. Using fresh mussels would be ideal, but they need to be steamed in advance and are more time consuming.
Before cooking, choose the cleanest mussels and remove any that don’t open while soaking. Just tap them a bit with your finger and if they don’t close, discard them.
Place the mussels on a baking sheet or aluminium foil and add a scant tablespoon of Dynamite sauce to each one. Sprinkle some shredded cheese over and bake into the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the surface become golden brown. Serve with scallions and some more masago on the side for garnish. Enjoy! *I recommend using Kewpie mayonnaise, it’s fat free and has no artificial colors.
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- Chinese Almond Boneless Chicken Recipe
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Preparation Steps of Baked Mussels Recipe
Baked mussels can be a great appetizer or even a light meal. They’re easy to make and require minimal ingredients. This recipe features a simple cheese sauce that is baked over the mussels for an added touch of flavor.
Start by rinsing the mussels under cold running water. Remove any beards or byssus (the stringy material that holds the shell together) from each mussel. Pat dry.
Next, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the mussels on the foil, nestling them close together. In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients.
Stir in the Hon Dashi pellets, Kewpie mayo, and Sriracha. Top each mussel with a scant tablespoon of the mixture and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake the mussels in the oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve warm.
Cooking Steps
You can make this baked mussels recipe ahead of time to save yourself some cooking time. Just mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven or toaster oven and spoon the mixture into each mussel shell. Top with a bit of shredded cheese and bake. This appetizer is quick and easy to prepare so you can spend more time mingling with your guests!
It is important to choose fresh, live mussels. If you are unsure whether the tahong are still alive, tap them with your finger and look for their shells to close. If the shells don’t open, they are dead and should be discarded. It is also a good idea to rinse the shellfish under cold, running water and scrub their outsides with a kitchen brush. The hard filaments on the sides are known as “beard” and should be scraped off with a paring knife.
Serving Tips
This delicious recipe takes less than 25 minutes to prepare and is a perfect appetizer for any party. The best way to choose mussels for this dish is to look for the ones that are tightly closed and have a clean shell surface with no cracks or chips. It’s also important to ensure that the mussels are alive before cooking by tapping them gently with your finger and waiting for them to close. If they don’t, they are dead and should be discarded.
Wash and dry the mussels. Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and spoon the mayonnaise mixture over the mussels on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with some shredded cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the shells are puffed and golden brown. Serve warm. Tip: If you want to make this recipe even more decadent, add a few tablespoons of sweet chili sauce for a hint of sweetness and spice to the creamy mussel topping.