Cheesy Buttered Broiled Mussels (Tahong)

 INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 lb. fresh tahong (mussels)
  • 3 cups water for boiling
  • 1 inch ginger, chopped
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
  • 3 tbsps. fresh parsley, minced

PROCEDURE:
  1. Clean the mussels. Place the mussels in a washbasin or big bowl of cold water. Cover for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Soaking the mussels will let them expel out their dirt and sand. One by one, pull off the beards and rinse under running water. Discard any mussels with chipped shells or that are not completely closed.
  2. In a medium pot, boil about 3 cups of clean water and ginger. Add the mussels and simmer over high heat for 5 minutes or until the mussels slightly open.
  3. Drain the mussels and let them cool. Set aside the broth for other use. Twist off and remove the half shells, leaving the meat intact in the other half.
  4. In a small bowl, mash the butter, grated cheese and parsley with fork. Spoon about a teaspoon of mixture on top of mussels and arrange them in a broiler tray.
  5. Preheat the broiler to 300ºF and broil the mussels for 3 to 5 minutes or until the butter-cheese is bubbling hot.
  6. Serve hot as an appetizer with crackers or bread. Enjoy!

**Number of Servings: 2 to 3

 TIPS FROM ENZ:
  1. I prefer mine to mix the softened butter (not melted) with cheese as I want to obtain a uniform and well-blended taste. I also do not melt the butter as it could easily burn in the broiler. Another option is to slather the melted butter on using a pastry brush, sprinkle with grated cheese and parsley, then chill the mussels in the fridge for a few minutes or until the butter is hard before putting them in the broiler.
  2. You may substitute butter with margarine or with olive oil, depending on your taste.
  3. Make sure to get only the fresh live mussels from a reputable dealer. An unopened shell after boiling is an indication that the mussel is already dead even before cooking. It is safe to discard the unopened mussels as you are not sure as to how long it is dead. Also, make sure that the mussels and shellfish that you are going to buy (or any seafood for that matter) are tested negative for red tide and other contaminants. Red tide contaminated shellfish is highly toxic if ingested by humans.

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