Now you see ’em…

They’re back! I’m talking tahong, of course. Banned after the latest red tide bloom in Eastern Visayas (the biggest in 30 years), mussels have been declared once again safe for consumption, and they were, at least for a few days, bigger than usual for having been left alone since November.

“Red tide” is the common/popular term for what should appropriately be called algal bloom. It is a natural phenomenon that is actually unrelated to the movement of the tides, may or may not give the seawater in the area it infests a reddish hue, and may or may not be harmful. The red tide we are familiar with in the Philippines is that of a harmful algal bloom, composed of microscopic toxin-producing algae that is most likely to be ingested by mussels or oysters, which cannot move around and thus feed on whatever happens to be around them. Eating these contaminated shellfish can cause vomiting, nausea, paralysis, even death.

Have I soured you on mussels? I hope not. They may be far from being my favorite shellfish, but I like them just fine (except in soup). I especially like the Chilean mussels in Cajun sauce that Choobi Choobi in Cebu serves in a plastic bag. Or STK/Paolito’s Seafood House’s homegrown version, that is, in kare-kare or peanut sauce, with sautéed ujáp (shrimp paste) on the side.

To be honest, though, it had been a long time since I had Choobi Choobi’s Cajun mussels, I could not quite remember the taste, just that it was good. Still, how hard could it be? I decided to keep things simple. For starters, no white wine (I had tried it with another type of clam before and was not too keen on the result). Well, maybe a splash of Chinese cooking brandy…

Also, I could not get hold of Cajun seasoning, so naturally I made my own with spices I had around.

Cajun Seasoning

As it turned out, I did not much fancy the taste of oregano with the mussels, so I will definitely skip that next time. If you do not have celery salt, plain salt will do. Just combine everything and you have your own Cajun seasoning. Omit (or lessen) the chili flakes if you do not like it (too) spicy.

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
• ¼ teaspoon celery salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard

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And then, of course, there was the matter of the mussels: I only had the local kind. Eh, why not? We make do with what we have; just imagine what the Cajuns use for mango and/or banana when a recipe calls for those.

As for the sauce, I did recall there wasn’t too much of it, and that it did not have too much butter. For the color, I would later find out paprika was not enough, so added tomato paste despite my initial misgivings (the recipe is based on Jaden Hair’s).

If I may say so, my version of the dish looked better — and definitely sexier — than Choobi Choobi’s. Taste-wise, it was good but could be better. I do not usually share recipes I’m not too confident about, although in this case I’m hoping someone out there could point out to me how to make it better. Or maybe I should just get on the boat to Cebu; I need another gander at STK’s seafood kare-kare as well.

Cajun Mussels, v1

Why 750 grams of mussels, you wonder? That’s about how much a “Caltex” of those clams weigh. If you only have salted butter, omit the salt from the Cajun seasoning; mussel broth is plenty salty already.

• 750 grams live mussels, cleaned
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 sweet corn, sliced into 5 equal pieces


• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (see recipe above)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking brandy
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¾ cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• chopped parsley (or basil), to garnish

1. Pour butter and oil into hot pan over medium heat until bubbly. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, then stir in Cajun seasoning and cook for another minute.
2. Add tomato paste and stir until mixed well before pouring in cooking brandy, chicken stock, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and sliced corn. Let boil.
3. Add mussels and cover pan. After 3 minutes, add bell pepper, then use a large spoon to re-distribute mussels so they cook evenly. Replace lid and check after another 3 minutes to see if all the clams have opened and are cooked through. Remove mussels (and corn) to serving bowl, discarding any that have remained closed. Adjust sauce to taste as the juices from the clams can make it quite briny/salty. Pour sauce over mussels and garnish with chopped parsley or basil. Serve hot with grilled slices of crusty bread (or rice).