24
votes
Accepted
I cannot understand how to properly fry seafood
Given your picture, I think the correct term here is saute; that is, to quickly fry in a little bit of hot fat. Pan frying uses more fat, and a lower temperature, to create a deeper crust. Probably an ...
23
votes
Can a fish living in fresh water be called seafood?
Don't read too much into the "sea"; there's no rule that every word in the language has to stick precisely to its etymological roots.
Seafood just means edible aquatic life, i.e. fish and shellfish ...
22
votes
Accepted
Is Yellow coloring inside a fish normal?
This article indicates that it's probably gall bladder bile:
The gall bladder [...] sometimes [...] breaks even when you are cleaning the fish very carefully and close to the skin. If the gall ...
20
votes
Why boil octopus with wine cork?
The muscle fibers of octopus are very thin compared to other species, arranged in multiple layers and alternating rings, which are then even further reinforced with collagen, 3-5 times more than ...
20
votes
Accepted
Could I possibly tell imitation lobster from real lobster?
If it is high quality imitation lobster and you are not amongst the highest skilled tasters (few of us are), you won't be able to tell the difference by yourself.
Imitation seafood is made from ...
19
votes
Accepted
How to clean an octopus - and is it worth it
This a a great video that explains every step. She cuts the head off by slicing above the eyes, so removing the beak is a part of cleaning the tentacles.
These are your first cuts.
Cut the head off ...
15
votes
I cannot understand how to properly fry seafood
You say
In the advertisements the chefs just swirl the mussels, shrimps, and octopus pieces around and produce some tasty browned pieces
That's like saying "When I watch Bob Ross, he just puts ...
15
votes
I cannot understand how to properly fry seafood
An important element to cooking fish is the quality of the fish itself. Many fish processors use sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) to preserve the fish. Unfortunately this also makes the fish absorb ...
14
votes
Accepted
Why would mussels be gritty?
With regards to the grit, if they aren't farmed mussels (which generally are fairly clean) you may want to give them a soak for a while. This will give them the chance to expel any further sand/grid ...
13
votes
Clams frozen before purging
There’s no way to make a dead clam purge sand etc.
You can always try to cook a few and see how gritty they really are, then decide. You may be lucky and find that they have a good mouthfeel, or you ...
12
votes
Accepted
Meat alternative for tempura?
AFAIK, meat is not really used for Tempura.
Do vegetables. (I assume you already do that).
If you want to do fried battered meats, I would suggest cutting them as small as possible.
Cut the meat ...
11
votes
Accepted
Why is it recommended to leave the last segment of shell on a shrimp?
The shells do have strong shrimp flavor that can contribute to a sauce, and are also left on for visual reasons. But personally, the choice of whether to leave it on depends on how I'm planning on ...
10
votes
Accepted
Does the location of where an octopus was imported from determine the flavor/quality of the meat?
actually seafood's country origin does make a very relevant difference. Why? ocean floor type, water tempearture, tradewinds, upwelling and feed availability. Best octopus comes from Spain and ...
10
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to eat the clam that didn't open?
Before steaming the clams, they should all be closed. If any of your clams are open, give them a tap and if they stay open, then it is bad and you should take it out of your batch to prevent it from ...
10
votes
Good Frozen Fish /seafood
I'd like to start with an analogy. Look at what you said in comments that some vegetables are actually better purchased frozen than purchased fresh. Let's take frozen peas vs fresh.
Peas notoriously ...
10
votes
I cannot understand how to properly fry seafood
Squeeze it. This is frozen seafood. Freezing food creates tiny sharp ice crystals that break a lot of the cell walls, and releases trapped moisture. When you defrost you need to squeeze all that loose ...
9
votes
Accepted
How do you barbeque a whole piece of fish?
I BBQ whole fish or fish filets with or without skin quite regularly. You suspect the BBQ was too hot, but usually BBQs are not hot enough (unless you were REALLY hot and over like 800F?). Make sure ...
9
votes
What should I be aware of while eating raw oysters?
Usually for a business it's up to the oyster shucker to worry about the quality and you're to just enjoy.
You can tell if the oyster is bad if it has an off smell. Much like fish, fresh oysters won'...
8
votes
Accepted
Can I grill a whole octopus without pre-steaming or poaching?
Full-size octopus are tough and rubbery when cooked, so the purpose of pre-cooking is to tenderize. According to some research, this can be done by hanging the octopus out to dry and then beating the ...
8
votes
Does abalone have any unique nutritional value that justifies its lofty prices?
Short answer: no.
Long answer: People eat abalone because of its taste, texture, and potential for gourmet preparation. Nutritional value isn't under consideration.
7
votes
Accepted
Frozen prawns - blue dye
The color should not be a problem for you as long as red coloring in beef packaging doesn't bother you.
That's right, that blue dye is blood. Crustaceans, like the prawn, crab, and lobster, and ...
7
votes
Accepted
Accidentally killed my mussels
In order:
No. It's possible, though not especially common, for a dead mussel to be stuck closed; they'll likely open with very little resistance.
Most likely yes. The main issue with eating dead ...
7
votes
Accepted
Should I eat the head of an octopus?
The parts that are inedible in an octopus of any size are the "insides" and beak. If you got it frozen, no need to worry about the insides but if you caught it yourself, you need to turn its bag ...
7
votes
Accepted
What is this seafood that I bought in a Chinese market?
That's abalone (鮑魚 bàoyú), a popular and expensive delicacy in Chinese cuisine.
6
votes
Accepted
How do I prepare fresh clams for clam chowder?
Cook them first. I consulted few recipes including this very representative 5 star recipe from Anne Burrell, she uses one dozen little neck or cherry stone clams per serving.
Scrub the clams and put ...
6
votes
Accepted
What is the English name of these sea snails?
Ốc bông = tiger moon snail (hotdeal.vn, Google images) or in Latin: Notocochlis tigrina (Wikipedia)
Ốc tỏi = Japanese bonnet snail (Facebook, Wild Fact Sheets, images, more images) or in Latin: ...
5
votes
At what point (after clams die) are they ok to eat
Clams are exceedingly perishable; there is no length of time after they are dead that you should eat them. They should always be killed as part of the cooking process.
They may open (they are ...
5
votes
Accepted
How to prepare cockles for cooking?
I'm familiar with the preparation of what the Portuguese call Amêijoa and Berbigão (the former being a clam, the later a cockle).
A general advice upfront: make sure that cockles in your region at ...
5
votes
How do you prepare squid tentacles?
Whole squid are easy to clean and prepare. Depending on the size the smaller are easier while the larger may take a little more time and preparation. Pull the tentacles and head from the main body (...
5
votes
Accepted
Do sprats need to be gutted?
It is safe to consume the guts.
Many people do.
More Info:
After digging deeper into the above article I spotted it contains the answer.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2006/oct/07/features....
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