Baked Tahong with Butter Cheese and Roasted Garlic Recipe

This is a recipe for Baked Tahong with Butter Cheese and Roasted Garlic. Compared to our previous baked tahong recipe, this version makes use of fried garlic. You can also call it roasted or toasted garlic, like what I did in the title.However, the proper term should be fried because it was fried in oil until golden brown.
Note that I used New Zealand Green Lipped mussel for this recipe. When I was in the Philippines, all mussels (tahong) looked like this. However, this variety is far more bigger. I noticed that most mussels sold here in the Midwest were dark and small. Having said that, I did not hesitate when I saw this mussel variety sitting in the freezer of my goto Asian supermarket. It seemed that it was meant for me to notice it so that I can make Baked tahong out of it.
Baked Tahong with Butter Cheese and Roasted Garlic is meant as an appetizer. However, who wouldn’t eat this with rice? I like to have it with rice and love it more when there is garlic butter shrimp around. It will even be better if there are some grilled liempo. Now, that sounds like is a feast!

Try this Baked Tahong with Butter Cheese and Roasted Garlic Recipe. Let me know what you think.

Baked Tahong with Butter Cheese and Roasted Garlic Recipe

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Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
12 mins
Total time
17 mins

This is a recipe for Baked Tahong with Butter Cheese and Roasted Garlic
Author: Vanjo Merano
Recipe type: Seafood
Cuisine: Filipino
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 lbs. mussels
1 head garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon minced parsley
¾ cup shredded quickmelt or sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup butter
4 cups water
4 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions
Prepare the fried garlic by heating oil in a small pot. As the oil heats-up, add the garlic. Continue to cook in medium heat while stirring-once in a while until the garlic turns golden brown. Separate the oil from the fried garlic. Set aside.
Prepare the mussels by pouring water in a cooking pot. Bring to a boil.
Add the mussels and continue to cook for 1 minute or until it starts to open. Discard the water and then let the mussels cool down.
Open the mussels completely and then peel off the shell that has no meat. We will only need the shell with mussel meat attached.
Preheat the oven to 350F
Arrange the mussels (meat side up) on a baking tray. Distribute butter and shredded cheese equally over each piece of mussel. Put inside the oven and then bake for 5 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven. Arrange the fried garlic on top of the mussels. Put the tray back into the oven. Continue to bake for 3 to 5 minutes more.
Remove from the oven. Let it cool. Arrange in a serving plate. Sprinkle parsley on top.