Seafood
Buying Tips:
Any fish you buy should smell like the sea. Whole fish should have clear eyes, and red gills. These features mean freshness.
Texture of fish:
The main difference between fish is the fat content and texture of the flesh.
Richer fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and bluefish stand up very well to aggressive flavors. Feel free to experiment with these fish by blackening or serving with sauces like curry or other aggressive flavors. They also pair well with sturdy herbs such as rosemary, cilantro, and thyme.
Lighter, leaner fishes such as halibut, flounder, and tilapia will be overpowered by aggressive sauces. Try simply preparing these fishes with butter, lemon, and delicate herbs such as parsley, tarragon and dill.
Sturdy, steak-like fishes such as tuna, swordfish and shark work extremely well on the grill and tend to stay intact after cooking.
Delicate fishes like flounder, salmon, and tilapia flake when fully cooked and need to be handled with care when removing from the pan, grill, or broiler.
Shellfish:
- Lobsters: Steam or boil for 7 minutes per pound.
To broil or grill, split lobster in half lengthwise and remove the head sac (stomach) and digestive tract in the tail. Brush with oil, season, and grill or broil until flesh is very firm and 145F. - Shrimp: Shrimp are sold by "count" which means average pieces per pound. When you see "21-25" that means that there are approximately 21-25 shrimp per pound. Therefore, the lower the number, the larger the shrimp. Cooking time will differ greatly by size as well as if you cook them in the shell or out of the shell. Shrimp in the shell take slightly longer to cook than shrimp without the shell, but retain more flavor.
- Clams, Oysters and Mussels: Cook until the shell opens. Discard any unopened shellfish. They can be steamed, broiled, or placed directly on a grill.
Seafood Cooking Techniques:
