ALL ABOUT SEAFOOD
This is an all too familiar dilemma, especially now, during Lent. When buying seafood, we’re confronted by an increasing, constantly changing variety of choices, some often new to us. With such selection, buying can be a learning experience. Rapid transport, excellent refrigeration and safe handling have opened seafood to international options, not just in cities, but in small inland towns. Aqua-farming has made more products available and widened the price range too. Salmon fillets, once considered upscale are sold in dollar stores as is Tilapia, introduced in the U.S. in the late 1980s-early 1990s, now a mainstay.
That’s good news in the U.S. because we over-fished our waters almost a century ago but didn’t begin to address the situation for about 50 years. In the 1970s seafood, especially fish, began to be promoted as a ‘healthy’ food and demand bloomed, exposing the problem. Until then the question was ”Do you like seafood?” Now it’s “What’re your favorite seafood recipes?” implying that people not only eat it frequently, but cook it at home as well, which is true.
The growing worldwide demand for seafood and the increasing desire to explore, improve, even create different cuisines, plus the interest in actually cooking food, naturally led to international resourcing. There are few variations and/or additions to the shellfish and mollusks categories but the number of fish species available has exploded.
Walking up to the supermarket fish counter or entering a fish store can be an exotic experience. It’s leveled off a bit, but there’s often a new item with an unfamiliar name. At times like those, it’s wise to depend on the fish monger’s advice but in order to take full advantage of it, you should be aware of the classifications of the fish familiar to you. You should know the general texture, taste range and oil content of the major types, how they cook and which ones fit certain dishes. Then you have a frame of reference and can make informed purchasing decisions, especially if a substitution is required, or if you want to try something new.
All About Seafood is a short, informative book which will give you the confidence to shop for seafood. It itemizes and describes shellfish and mollusks, categorizes the most familiar fish species, tells how to judge freshness and gives advice on portion sizing to calculate weight. You will also feel confident as you return home with your purchase because the book has instructions on cleaning, filleting and skinning fish as well as safe-handling, storing and general cooking directions with some illustrative recipes, including suggestions for serving canned fish. It’s a lot of content for $2.99.
For example, shrimp is one of the most popular foods, but sizing as related to portioning is often gives us pause in purchasing, particularly since they’re most frequently sold in multiple pound bags. This convenient chart, from the book, will make things a lot simpler. It’s just one of the helpful pieces of information you’ll find there. Average serving =About ½ lb. as solo ingredient, less in combination dishes.
Shrimp (Colossal) 10 or less per pound
Shrimp (Jumbo) 11-15 per pound
Extra Large 16-20 per pound
Large 21-30 per pound
Medium 31-35 per pound
Small 36-45 per pound
Miniature 100 per pound
Incidentally, ‘prawn’ is an older term for shrimp, but now usually connotes the very large ones intended for grilling and stuffing. ‘Scampi’ is simply the Italian word for ‘shrimp’. So ‘Shrimp Scampi’ on U.S. menus is an oxymoron really translating ‘shrimp shrimp’, although it’s come to mean shrimp in garlic-butter sauce, a popular dish in Italy. Here’s a different way to serve them, a recipe from the book:
Shrimp Kabobs: Serves 4
Cubes of Monkfish, Salmon steak, Swordfish, even Tuna steaks will work in place of shrimp:
2 lbs. extra-large (26-30 count) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary or equal amount dried
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. allspice powder
2 lemons – one juiced one in quarters
Kosher salt to taste
Barbeque Sauce***
Skewers
Mix all the ingredients but the salt and quartered lemon in a bowl large enough to hold the shrimp. Add the shrimp and marinate, covered at room temperature at least 1 hr. or several hours in the refrigerator. Thread shrimp head to tail on as many skewers as necessary – long metal ones require about 4. Preheat broiler or grill, and cook shrimp until pink and beginning to brown, basting frequently with the marinade. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with lemon quarters, and pepper.
***The Barbeque Sauce is for optional dipping
Want to see some more?
Broiled Scallops: Serves 4
1 ½ pt. Sea Scallops or about 1 ½ lb. equal to between 4 to 6 per person depending on size
2 Tbs. butter
1 cup milk – optional
Fine bread crumbs or Panko – optional
Paprika
1 lemon – quartered
Wash scallops well and blot dry on paper towels. Preheat broiler, if using, or burner if pan broiling. For a crispy look, dip scallops in milk then in crumbs Place scallops in a greased dish, crumb side up, sprinkle with paprika, dot with the butter and broil about 3 – 5 min. or until browned and opaque.. Do not turn. Serve at once with lemon wedges
To pan broil, melt butter in skillet over medium heat and add scallops. Sauté until brown on one side, @ 2 min. Turn scallops cook on other side @ 2 min or until opaque.. Plate.
Smoked Salmon in Pasta with Vodka Sauce: Serves 4
(1) 20 oz. can crushed tomatoes OR 11/2 lbs. fresh Plum tomatoes skinned, seeded finely chopped
1 cloves garlic – mashed
1 medium onion – diced
1 Tbs. oil or butter
½ cup Vodka
½ cup heavy cream
(1) 8oz package sliced, smoked Salmon
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb. of shaped pasta – bowties are traditional
Dash of red pepper – optional
Slice salmon in 1 inch pieces. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion in the oil or butter for 2 min., add the garlic and cook 1 min more. Add the tomatoes, lower the heat. and simmer about 10 min., to reduce slightly and mash a bit, Add the vodka and simmer 5 min more. Add the cream, stir to incorporate well and simmer another 5 min. Gently add the salmon and heat through, stirring very little to avoid tearing the meat, about 15 sec. Cook the pasta al dente while the tomatoes are simmering. Drain and, while still hot, gently pour into the skillet, then turn the contents of the skillet onto a platter, and apportion on 4 plates, gently guiding it with a wooden spoon. The object is to have the pasta fully coated with the sauce, while leaving the meat pieces intact. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley, and serve.
There are at least 40 postings of fish recipes on this site, plus more recipes embedded in posts on quick meals, cold diners and soups. So please scan the panorama on the Home Page. However, may I suggest: Grilling Fish July 6, 2017, Popular Fish Recipes July 13, 2017 Salmon Recipes Feb. 15, 2018, , Tilapia Recipes Feb. 22, 2018, Cold Salmon June 12, 2018, , Fish Salads Aug. 18, 2022.
Here’s the Table of Contents. To find the book, click the links or the Book/Products button on the page header. It’s also available on Kindle for $2.99.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION –Page 2
FISH – – Page 3
General Rules about Fish – – Page 3
Types and substitutions – Page 4
Safe Handling Fish – Page 4
Salt Water fish – -Page 4
Fresh Water fish – – Page 4
Shark – -Page 5
Preparing fish – – Page 5
Small fish – – Page 5
Large Fish – – Page 5
How to Skin a Fish Fillet- – Page 5
Preferences- -Page 6
Taste – – Page 6
Fresh- -Page 6
Frozen – – Page 7
Frozen – – Page 7
SHELLFESH – – Page 7
Lobster – – Page 7
Crab – – Page 8
Shrimp – – Page 9
Crawfish or Crayfish – – Page 10
MOLLUSKS – – Page 10
Clams – – Page 10
Oysters – – Page 11
Mussels – – Page 12
Scallops- – Page 12
Abalone – – Page 12
Conch – – Page 13
Cockles – – Page 13
Snails – – Page 13
CANNED FISH – – Page 14
Tuna – – Page 14
Salmon – – Page 15
Mackerel – – Page 15
LISTINGS – – Page 15
Shrimp Sizes – -Page 16
Types of Fish – – Page 16
Salt and Fresh Water Fish- – Page 17
RECIPES – – Page 17
