Tinolang Tahong
Tinolang Tahong is the Filipino version of French Moules Marinière. Fresh mussels cooked in refreshing ginger broth. Enjoy this delicious mussels dish in just a few easy steps.
This mussel recipe is what I make for times when we get tired of meat. I know you can relate and probably been through the same experience. Even though spring is already at our doorsteps, soup in my kitchen is a year-round thing.
This is probably the easiest recipe for cooking mussels. It only takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Another thing is it’s cheap to make yet so delicious!
Tinolang Tahong vs. Moules Marinière
So, what differentiates the Filipino mussel dish from the French dish? First, Tinolang Tahong doesn’t use white wine as an ingredient. Secondly, Moules Mariniere recipe includes double cream or crème fraîche making it creamier. The French mussel dish is usually served with fries or bread while the Filipino version goes well with rice.
How to make Tinolang Tahong
When prepping fresh mussels, If they’re gritty or have lots of beards (it’ll look like bits of hair coming out from between their shells), scrub them well under cold water and pull out the beards by grabbing them and pulling them towards the hinge-end of the mussels. Set aside.
Saute garlic, onion, and ginger until onions are soft and garlic fragrant. Then add tomatoes until they wilt. Throw in the mussels and saute for 5 minutes or when mussels opened up a bit. Pour in 2-3 cups of water or depending on how soupy you want it to be. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes then season with salt.
Tips for Tinolang Tahong
- Fresh mussels give the dish a more of an oceanic flavor but you can use frozen too.
- You can add spinach or chili leaves if you fancy. Just add them in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
The secret ingredient is always LOVE
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Tinolang Tahong
Ingredients
- 1 kilo fresh mussels with shell (or frozen then thawed)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 small onion (sliced)
- 1 thumb-sized ginger (sliced)
- 1 medium tomato (cut in wedges)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt (for seasoning)
- 3 cups water
Instructions
If your using fresh mussels
- Wash the mussels under cold, running water. Discard any open ones that won't close when lightly squeezed. Pull out the tough, fibrous beards protruding from between the tightly closed shells and then knock off any barnacles with a large knife. Give the mussels another quick rinse to remove any little pieces of shell. Set aside
If you using frozen mussels
- Thaw and wash the mussels under cold, running water. Set aside
- Heat cooking oil in a pot over medium heat.
- Saute garlic, onion, and ginger until onion is wilted and garlic fragrant.
- Add tomato and saute. When soft, mash to release juice.
- Throw-in mussels and cook for 5 minutes or when the mussel shells opened a bit more.
- Add water and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Season with salt.
- Turn off the heat and serve! Bon Appetit!
