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What's
so hard about cooking seafood? Nothing - except, maybe, narrowing
down all the preparation options. All you need to know are basic
cooking techniques and a couple of tips to ensure success. The
standard rule of seafood cookery is 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
But this varies, depending on the density of the flesh, whether
it's being cooked frozen or stuffed, etc. You'll know it's done
when the meat is opaque all the way through and flakes easily
with a fork. Also, to ensure even cooking turn under thin ends
of fillets so the fish is uniformly thick. Those simple pointers
and the advice below are all you need to know to cook seafood
like a pro.
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| BAKE |
What
to use: all types of fish, lean and oily: fillets, steaks, roasts,
whole dressed fish. If wrapped in foil, shellfish can also be
baked. What to do: drizzle lean fish with butter or oil. Add
cooking liquid like white wine with herbs to keep fish moist.
Season as desired and cover. Bake in preheated 350 degrees to
425 degrees F. oven.
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| BROIL |
What
to use: Fish fillets or steaks 1 inch thick, or split whole fish.
Higher-fat fish like salmon or sea bass works best, as it remains
more moist. Shellfish option include shrimp, peeled or not; shucked
scallops, even oysters, clams and mussels, stuffed or on the half-shell.
What to do: lean fish and all shellfish should be marinated first
and/or baste during broiling. At the very least, lightly oil the
seafood first. Preheat the broiler, and broil fish or shellfish
with rack 4 inches from top heat element. Turn fish halfway through
cooking. Add fresh herbs toward end of cooking so they won't burn. |
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| FRY |
What
to use: lean fish (fillets, portions, strips, nuggets, even whole,
dressed fish); shucked shrimp, scallops, clams; squid rings. What
to do: use good quality vegetable oil and keep it at 375 degrees
F. Depth of oil in pan should be at least 2 inches. Use a crumb
or batter coating on the seafood to be fried. Fry in batches to
keep temperature of oil from dropping (this critical in preventing
seafood from absorbing the cooking oil). Turn pieces occasionally
and cook until golden brown. Fried seafood should be crisp on
the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Drain on paper towels. |
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| GRILL |
What
to use: oily, meaty fish like tuna, swordfish and salmon are ideal.
Use steaks and fillets, at least 1/2 inch thick, or whole, dressed
fish. Skin-on filets work nicely, as they hold together well.
Grill large shell-on shellfish or shucked shellfish on skewers.
What to do: marinate or season seafood as desired. Drain marinated
seafood well before grilling, reserving marinade for basting.
Oil grill surface well to prevent sticking. Grill top-side down
first; turn, baste and finish cooking with skin-side down. Lay
skewered shellfish directly on grill. Baste often while cooking. |
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| POACH |
What
to use: lean fish - fillets, steaks or whole especially benefit
from the moist cooking technique. Avoid poaching oily, dark-meated
fish like mackerel or tuna. Salmon is exception here. What to
do: select a cooking liquid - water, broth, wine, milk, etc. and
season to taste. Use a big enough pan and enough liquid to cover
the fish. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and add seafood.
Simmer, covered, till done. Use remaining liquid to make sauce. |
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| SAUTÉ |
What
to use: small, whole, pan-dressed fish, like trout; thin, skinless,
like flounder; thin steaks, shellfish: shrimp, peeled or not;
soft-shell crabs; shucked scallops; squid. Oily fish like mackerel
or salmon don't lend themselves to this technique. What to do:
sautéing is essentially frying, but in a small amount of
fat. If desired,first dredge seafood in seasoned flour, shaking
off excess. Melt enough butter or margarine to just cover the
bottom of the pan (adding some olive oil will prevent butter from
burning). Heat fat over moderate heat. Add seafood and sear, then
lower heat to finish cooking. Turn so seafood browns evenly. |
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| STEAM |
What
to use: all lean fish: fillets, steaks, small whole fish. All
shellfish. Oily fish do not benefit from steaming. What to do:
steaming is done in tightly covered container in which seafood
is placed on a rack - with or without a bed of vegetables - over
boiling water or other liquid. In the case of clams and mussels,
the shellfish are placed directly into a small amount of liquid
in a covered pan and cooked at high heat until they open. Steaming
is recommended over boiling for lobsters, since they don't become
waterlogged. |
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