Dried Mussels with Chicken and Mushrooms

Another dried mussels recipe from me!  The one packet of dried mussels can actually make with few dishes, I still have half a packet left.  I had tried it with Lotus Root Soup and Chap Chai and now tried it with chicken and mushrooms.  But I would probably say it would taste better with pork belly or drumsticks.  But if you are health conscious, then just use skinless chicken breasts like me.   Perhaps I will use the dried mussels in a vegetable soup next.

Ingredients:

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, sliced and marinated with soy sauce, white pepper, rice wine, garlic powder and cornstarch (or you can use pork belly)

8-10 dried mussels, soften in warm water, drain

8 dried flower mushrooms, soften in warm water, drain

Few pieces of sliced gingers

1 star anise

1 cinnamon sticks

8 cloves

6-8 small white rock sugar

1/4 cup Chinese rice wine

Soy sauce to taste

1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce

Method:

1.  In a medium saucepan, add in a little oil.  When hot, add in ginger slices and stir-fry until fragrant.  Add in the spices and stir-fry well.  Add in chicken and dried mussels, stir-fry until chicken is almost cooked.

2.  Add in water to cover.  Add in mushrooms, stir well.  Add in the seasonings and let it simmer for an hour.

3.  Season to taste if needed.  Serve with rice.

Lotus Root Soup with Dried Mussels

Recently I asked my readers how they used their dried mussels to cook and this was one of the suggestions.  Except I used chicken drumsticks instead of pork ribs.  This is definitely delicious and the dried mussels brought another flavor into the soup.  This is Chinese dried mussels which you can find in the Asian market.

I would certainly make this soup again!  Thanks friend!  :-)

Ingredients:

2 chicken drumsticks, you can keep it whole or cut it

About 8 to 10 dried mussels, soften it warm water, rinse

8 Chinese red dates or jujubes

1 lotus root if small, half if big, peel the outer layer and cut into slices, soak in water until ready to use

1000 ml water 

Salt to taste

Method:

1.  In a saucepan, add in water and let it boil.  When boiling, add in the drumsticks.  Scoop out anything that float on top.

2.  Add in dried mussels, lotus root and red dates and let it boil again.  When boiling, turn to heat to low and let it simmer for 2 hours.  

3.  Season to taste with salt.  The soup will be sweet.

Dried Mussels Recipe

I was searching for dried mussels recipe but I couldn't find many online, so I resorting to experiment it myself.  I had it in a friend's restaurant before and she used it to boil soup, so for one I know it will be great in soup.  My friend's suggested to add it in the lotus root and pork ribs soup which sounded yummy to me.  Going to try it soon but probably with chicken drumsticks as I don't have pork ribs.  Another suggested to braise it with chicken and mushroom which sounded good to me as well which I intent to try it out.  A few suggested to cook it in porridge but I probably going to pass this as my girls don't like porridge.  One suggested to cook it in sambal for example instead of sambal ikan bilis, make it into sambal dried mussels, sounds good to me too.  But I cannot cook this dish, read below for the reason.

This dish is very auspicious as bean curd sticks means blessing the house, Chinese cabbage means 100 types of prosperity luck, carrots means good luck, glass noodle means long life, wood ear means longevity, Shitake mushroom means longevity and sizing opportunity, shrimps means happiness and good fortune.  Mandarin orange means gold and wealth.


As for me, I experimented it in my Chap Chai recipe and also added some shrimps.  I added it in when stir-frying with the dried shrimps. It turned out great and we eat it with my chilies in oil.  My thought is you can use it in stir-frying vegetable or make a dish of it by cooking it in this spicy sauce.  My hubby doesn't like the smell of dried mussels so I couldn't make it a star of a dish, only as a side kick.  LOL!  But if you like mussels, why not make it a star of a dish! (like sambal mussels!)

 Dried mussels already soften in warm water.  You need to soak it in warm water until soften before use.  And then clean it and rinse it.  Available in Asian market and fairly cheap.