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Great Tips On Selecting Live Lobster Or Other Fresh Seafood

By Debra Reed


Imagine having to eat a dinner filled with delectable courses such as bouillabaisse, New England clam chowder, seared tuna steaks, grilled salmon fillets, or baked scallops. Just thinking about it probably had your mouth watering and sparking your appetite for some seafood. So if you feel the need to satisfy your ocean based food cravings, consider these points below to educate you on the matter.

Lobsters are big and formidable crustaceans that also happen to be delectable crowd pleasing items when cooked in certain dishes. Selecting a live lobster is rather easy since the ideal choices are those who curl up their tails when picked up. But should you opt for the frozen route, make sure that the lobster is really frozen solid before you decide to buy one or more of them.

Fish, whether they are freshwater or from the ocean, are common food staples in our daily life. Determining fresh ones is easy enough since they should have a firm texture and give off the scent of the water from where they were caught. This is the opposite for frozen fish, because when they are packed the right way by fishmongers, they should have little to no odor whatsoever.

One of the prevalent types of shellfish we consume are clams, and these are often present in dishes such as chowders or bisques. Because of their diminutive size, they are typically sold in bulk by weight by vendors. Watch out for those with closed shells and a sweet aroma emanating from them as these are good signs that the product is alive and fresh.

Oysters are not just where pearls are grown, but they are also a fantastic food source rich in iron, zinc, and calcium. You may purchase them with the shells closed or already shucked open for convenience. Culinary experts strongly advise buyers to consume fresh oysters the same day that they were purchased as they have a tendency to lose quality when stored for a long period of time.

Shrimp is one of those things that can be acquired tastes for some people. This may be due to the fact that they look strange when uncooked, though when they are properly prepared, they actually taste delicious. When shopping for fresh shrimps for use as a garnish or as a main dish in itself, they must possess a firm quality when pressed with your fingers and give off a mild briny odor.

Crabs are very much like their lobster cousins in that they are favorite crowd pleasers and they can be rather scrumptious when cooked to perfection. When sold in markets, they often come in fresh or frozen varieties. If you cringe at the thought of getting live specimens, feel free to go for the frozen ones instead since they require less wrangling during preparation.

A rising star in the culinary world comes in the unexpected form of the sea urchin. Chefs and diners alike praise the innards of this forbidding sea creature for possessing complex flavors with a delicate texture. The meat of this particular seafood is called uni, and the best indicator of high quality is if it shows off bright colors of either orange or yellow.

Being interested in culinary pursuits is both nourishing and educational. You may have learned quite a few tricks when shopping for seafood courtesy of the advice featured in this guide. Give yourself a pat on the back when you successfully purchased the finest quality ingredients available.




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