Cheesy Tahong Recipe – A Delicious Cheesy Take on Mussels

A Filipino Seafood Favorite – This no bake Cheesy Tahong Recipe is absolutely simple, indulgent and savory. Featuring fresh mussels, a buttery garlic based sauce topped with a lot of cheese. This is the perfect easy to make appetizer or ‘pulutan’ ( beer pairing ) that delivers taste in every bite.

Cheesy Tahong Recipe :

Ingredients

• 2 kilos tahong ( mussels )
• A few crushed ginger
• Water for boiling
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 cloves garlic ( minced )
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• Black pepper to taste
• Quickmelt cheese ( shredded )

Steps:

1. Place the mussels in a pot. Add in some ginger and enough water to cover the mussels. Cover and boil till all the shells open up. Take these off the heat.

2. Take the meat out of the shells and set aside. In a pan, melt butter and saute garlic until aromatic. Mix in oyster sauce and black pepper until bubbling. Place in the mussels and saute for a few seconds.

3. Add in the cheese and cover till the cheese melts.

What is Mussels (Tahong)

Mussels are a type of shellfish that belong to the bivalve mollusk family — meaning they have two hinged shells. They are commonly found in both freshwater and saltwater environments.

Key Facts:

• Appearance: Mussels have dark, oval-shaped shells, typically bluish-black in color.
• Habitat:
  • Saltwater mussels: Found clinging to rocks and surfaces in intertidal zones (e.g. Mytilus edulis, the blue mussel).
  • Freshwater mussels: Live buried in riverbeds and lakes.
• Diet: Mussels are filter feeders — they extract plankton and other small particles from the water.
• Culinary Use:
  • Commonly eaten in many parts of the world.
  • Popular dishes include moules-frites (mussels with fries), mussels in garlic butter, or steamed in white wine.
  • Before cooking, they must be cleaned and debearded (removing the fibrous “beard” they use to attach to surfaces).
• Nutrition: High in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and various vitamins and minerals like B12, iron, and selenium.

How to this Cook Cheesy Tahong Recipe

A cheesy garlic tahong dish that can be made using just one pot or deep pan, and a few minutes on the stove. Planning a party or small get together? Then this appetizer is simple, quick, and a perfect choice to please the crowd! Though you can choose to top this over rice as a quick lunch or simple but Yummy dinner meal.

How to make Cheesy Tahong Without Oven? First cook the mussels by boiling them in a pot filled with rough water and some crushed ginger. The ginger helps remove any foul or fishy smell the mussels might have. Simmer till the shells open, strain them to remove them of the impurities and sand. After these have slightly cooled, take the meat out and set them aside. To make the sauce, melt the butter and saute garlic until aromatic before adding the umami flavoring-oyster sauce with some pepper, stir and let this simmer till it bubbles. Pour in the mussels and mix everything together till it’s fully covered, cook for a few seconds just till the mussels soak up most of the sauce. Top the mussels with shredded cheese, cover with a lid and let this cook till the cheese melts.

Questions ?

• Cheesy Tahong Calories

A serving of 120 grams of cheesy garlic butter tahong amounts to 135 calories.

• Other methods of cooking
  • Try making Grilled Cheesy Tahong – Grilled Tahong is made by cleaning then boiling the mussels for a few minutes just to be able to remove the beard and one side of the shell. Then place the sauce/sauteed aromatics over the shell with the mussel, top with cheese or a mix of cheese and breadcrumbs. Place these over a grill, covered till the cheese turns brown and slightly charred.
  • To make Cheesy Baked Tahong – preheat the oven at 375°F or 190°C set to broil. While you saute the aromatics and seasonings and boil the mussels till the shells open. After, open the muscles up and remove one side of the shell, keeping only the side with the meat, top the meat with seasonings and cheese. Line the tray with aluminum foil and bake for 15 – 20 minutes till the cheese browns.
  • You can also try Cheesy Tahong Air Fryer – simply repeating the steps for the baked mussels but lining the air fryer with parchment. Baking 10 – 15 minutes, adding 2 – 3 minutes at a time till the cheese browns.

• Additional Cheesy Tahong Ingredients
  • Add other seasonings like paprika, cayenne, cumin, turmeric, thyme, any seasoning or flavoring of choice.
  • Make it taste a bit more Asian with the addition of sweet chili sauce for “Sweet Chili Cheesy Tahong”.
  • Make this into a Spicy Cheesy Tahong by adding some spice into the dish with chillies, chili flakes, sriracha, hot sauce, or gochujang (Korean chili paste) into the sauce before adding the mussels in.
  • You can also combine cheeses like cheddar cheese and mozzarella, pimento cheese and gouda. Try out different combinations.

• How to serve

Serve over a plate, or if you want to add some ‘pizzazz’ place these over a sizzling plate with calamansi on the side-Sizzling Cheesy Tahong. This will also keep the dish cheesy and warm for longer. 

Other Yummy Cheesy Recipes!

Cheesy Tahong Resipi: (Tagalog version)

Mga Sangkap :

• 2 kilos tahong 
• Mga dinurog na luya
• Tubig pang kulo
• 2 kutsarang mantikilya
• 5 butil ng bawang ( tinadtad )
• 2 kutsarang oyster sauce
• Paminta panlasa
• Quickmelt cheese ( ginutay-gutay )

Paano Lutuin :

1. Ilagay ang mga tahong sa palayok. Lagyan ng luya at sapat na tubig para matakpan ang mga tahong. Takpan at pakuluan hanggang bumuka ang mga ito. Tanggalin sa init.
2. Kunin ang mga karne ng tahong at itabi. Sa kawali, mag tunaw ng mantikilya at lutuin ang mga bawang hanggang bumango. Haluan ng oyster sauce at paminta hanggang bumula. Ilagay ang mga tahong at haluin ng ilang segundo,
3. Haluan ng keso at takpan hanggang matunaw ito.