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Boiled mussels (moules cuites)

Erken's simple recipe for boiled mussels from 1914: 50 mussels are cleaned in salt water, boiled 10 minutes in salted water with paprika, then steamed 5 minutes in their own stock until the shells open, and served with vinegar, pepper and strained stock.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 141 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

From the chapter on fish and shellfish in Henriette Schønberg Erken's «Stor kokebok» (1914). In the introduction Erken warns against mussels from stagnant, unclean water and against eating mussels from May to the end of September, and recommends mussels from rocky ground.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Clean the mussels

    Let the mussels stand in fresh salt water for half a day. Brush them well, and change the water until it is completely clear. Discard any mussels that are open or damaged.

  2. 2

    Bring the water to a boil

    Bring water to a boil with 25 g salt and 5 g paprika per liter.

  3. 3

    Boil the mussels

    Place the mussels in the boiling water and boil them for 10 minutes.

  4. 4

    Steam in the stock

    Take the mussels out and place them side by side in a flat-bottomed pot. Pour 5 dl of the stock over them, put on a lid and let them stand covered for 5 minutes, or until the shells have opened.

  5. 5

    Remove the mussel meat

    Take the mussel meat out of the shells and remove all the byssus threads (beards).

  6. 6

    Serve

    Serve the mussel meat with vinegar, pepper and the strained stock.

Changes from the original

The measures are converted to modern Norwegian units (liter, deciliter, gram) and broken out into a structured ingredient list. «Kraft» is interpreted as the cooking stock from the mussels. The method is divided into steps and written in modern Norwegian; otherwise unchanged.

Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

Velg to utgaver og se hva Henriette Schønberg Erken la til, fjernet eller endret mellom dem.

1914 (korrekturlest, s. 141)1949 (korrekturlest, s. 169)~62% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til
50 blaaskjæl blåskjell eddik pepper ½ l. kraft. Blaaskjællene staar Blåskjellene legges derefter i gryte uten vann, overdrysses med salt, og gryten settes over sterk varme; lokk på gryten; rystes av og til. Istedenfor lokk kan man legge et rent, vått klæde over skjellene; disse koker da i dampen til de åpner sig. Skjellmaten tas ut av skallet. Alle byssustrådene (hampetrådene) fjernes. Blåskjellene står i friskt saltvand saltvann ½ dag, børstes, indtil vandet børstes inntil vannet er klart, og lægges legges i kokende vand. vann. Til 1 l. vand tages vann tas 25 gr. salt og 5 gr. paprika. Kokes i 10 minutter. Blaaskjællene tages Blåskjellene tas op og lægges legges side om side i en gryte med flat bund; overheldes bunn; overhelles ½ l. kraft. Staar tildækket Står tildekket i 5 minutter eller til skallene har aapnet åpnet sig. Tages Tas ut av skjællene skjellene og serveres med tilsætning tilsetning av eddik, pepper og den silede silte kraft.

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Frequently asked questions

Why should the mussels stand in salt water for half a day?
To be cleansed of sand and grit. They are placed in fresh salt water for about ½ day (hence the long total time) and brushed until the washing water is clear.
How long are the mussels cooked?
They are placed in boiling water and boiled for 10 minutes. For 1 liter of water, use 25 g salt and 5 g paprika. Then they are placed side by side in a flat-bottomed pot, doused with ½ liter of stock and left covered for 5 minutes, or until the shells have opened.
How are they served?
The mussels are taken out of the shells and served with vinegar, pepper and the strained stock.
How many mussels are needed?
The recipe from Henriette Schønberg Erken's «Stor kokebok» (1914), p. 141, calls for 50 mussels for 4 servings.

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