Pre-cooked, Frozen Shellfish?

I know that fresh is always best where seafood is concerned, BUT...

what about pre-cooked, frozen shellfish, I'm thinking mainly in the bivalve family here. I have seen pre-cooked frozen mussels, clams and oysters, but I am extremely nervous about trying them. How can you pre-cook a mussel in the shell? And what happens when you reheat it? Does the shell open then? Has it opened already?

And of utmost importance, how much of a dive am I looking at in quality?

Anybody out there have any experience with this?

Thanks!

Anyone ?...Anyone?....Bueller...Bueller

Clams and mussels: I have had very good results with both. I used Atlantic little necks and New Zealand greens. I am not a fan of Atlantic blues. Too many have 'full bellies.' You can tell these because they look engorged and have black material that stretches, under the skin, from the 'liver,' to the gill side of the animal. This is excrement, and has the texture of sludge and the flavor of, well, fish excrement. Generally, I cook in the mariniere and vongole' styles unless I'm 'feeling funky,' so to speak.

Oysters: This bivalve sticks to the side of its shell, and has a looser texture... so I'm doubtful of a retained quality when precooked/ frozen. I would only use this in an indirect, wet cooking method like oyster stew. Maybe a Rockefeller made in the style that involves chopping up the clam and then adding it to the mixture that is placed into the shell would work. Then again, I am ruined on North Pacific oysters (go to Z's and order any of them that are labeled 'BC,' and you will be too!)

Please keep us posted as to how your experimentation pans out!

Edited because Donal (an old mentor) would kill me if I didn't mention Irish rope- cultured mussels. They are some of the best on the planet...

My company sells frozen clams, mussels and oysters to restaurants in louisville and the surronding area each week. Here is my spin on them. The mussels and clams are clean than packaged in 1 # bags and cooked . They then freeze them in a blast freezer.All you have to do is take them out of the bag and put them in your sauce or put the bag from a frozen state in boiling water for 3 minutes.They have all their natural juices and 100 per cent usable. They don't taste as fresh as the fresh ones but not bad. I keep the mussels at home and boil in water and serve with a hard bread.The oysters are pretty tasty and you eliminate spoilage. They really taste pretty good but are best used in a rockefeller or some type of baked oyster dish.

My company sells frozen clams, mussels and oysters to restaurants in louisville and the surronding area each week. Here is my spin on them. The mussels and clams are clean than packaged in 1 # bags and cooked . They then freeze them in a blast freezer.All you have to do is take them out of the bag and put them in your sauce or put the bag from a frozen state in boiling water for 3 minutes.They have all their natural juices and 100 per cent usable. They don't taste as fresh as the fresh ones but not bad. I keep the mussels at home and boil in water and serve with a hard bread.The oysters are pretty tasty and you eliminate spoilage. They really taste pretty good but are best used in a rockefeller or some type of baked oyster dish.

Not bad Al, But you know that there REALLY is no comparison to the real deal, freshly shucked!!!!

You have learned much my Paduain!!!!

Thanks, guys. I will use with some confidence now. I was looking to use them for soups and the like. Sounds like I'm in the clear. I'll keep you posted.

I have worked with the frozen mussels as well, the green lip ones to be specific. They look and taste great, still not as great as fresh. But with the rising costs of transportation, and the technological advances in IQF, it becomes a more economical alternative to those of us that aren't near the oceans.

in the interest of following up, I would just like to say I used the frozen mussels and they were just fine. Perfect for use in soups and stews.

What a relief!

Thanks to everyone for the advice and help!