Tahong Lugaw

Tahong Lugaw. I had this cooked mussels form the supermarket, it is shelled and ready to eat. In Australia and perhaps in other places pre-cooked and marinated mussels are served as appetizer or ingredient for salads. I thought I could use it on my next Pinoy Lugaw/Porridge Dish. Tahong or mussels are best cooked with lots of ginger, so with Lugaw or Arroz Caldo therefore tahong as main meat ingredient to Lugaw should be alright. First I have to the green mussels was drained, then sautéed with the usual Lugaw or Arroz Caldo aromating ingredients. I have to keep aside the green mussels then added on the final stage of cooking. Green mussels or tahong when overcooked tends to be rubbery. 

To our readers who are located on places that precooked mussels are not available, the Fresh Tahong can be used, you have the option to cook it with shell on or the mussel meats are taken off from the shells. However I would cook it with the shield already discarded.

Cooking the porridge rice for our Tahong Lugaw is basically similar to our other Lugaw or Arroz Caldo recipes.

Here is the recipe of our Tahong Lugaw. 

Ingredients:

1-2 cups, cooked, shelled tahong, mussels, drained
2 cups glutinous rice
1 cup regular rice
1/2 head garlic, peeled, crushed, chopped
1 medium size onion, peeled, chopped
2-3 thumb size ginger, skinned, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tsp. turmeric powder
4-5 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
cooking oil 

For garnishing:

1/2 head garlic peeled, crushed, chopped, crispy fried, reserve oil
1 small bundle spring onion, chopped
kalamansi 

Cooking procedure:

Wash the glutinous rice and regular rice, keep aside. In large sauce pan sauté garlic, ginger and onion in generous amount of oil until fragrant. Add in pre-cooked mussels and the fish sauce, stir cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the mussels from the pan and keep aside, leaving the oil, juices and whatever aromatic ingredient that are left on the pan. On the same pan, Add in the rice and stir cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until all the oil and juices are absorbed by the rice. Now add in the chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until rice start to disintegrate and form a thick rice soup add more water as necessary. Add in the turmeric powder and season with salt and pepper to taste, continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Now add in the pre-cooked mussels and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve garnished with chopped spring onion and fried garlic. Drizzle with some oil from frying the garlic and with kalamansi.

See other Lugaw and Arroz Caldo recipes; 

Chicken Feet Arroz Caldo
Chicken Guya Lugaw
Chicken Arroz Caldo with Salted Egg
Fish Lugaw with Malungay, a Pinoy version of Fish Risotto with Malungay
Oxtail Lugaw
Lugaw, Beef Cheeks and Tripe Combination
Beef Cheeks Lugaw
Chicken Arroz Caldo with Bacon
Goto, Beef Tripe Lugaw
Arroz Caldo
Special Lugaw, Special Pinoy Congee
Seafood Lugaw