Part One—Oysters, Scallops, & Shrimp
Part Two—Fall Issue—Grouper, Tuna, & Tips for Buying Fish

By Beth Flaherty

Photos by BJ Cothran

When living near the sea, it’s only a matter of time before you become hungry for seafood.  Some home chefs are intimidated by the thought of cooking fish, but seafood can be easier and faster to cook than beef or chicken.  The nutrition gurus are now recommending that we eat fish two to three times every week, so this is a really good time to figure out how to put a variety of seafood in your diet.

You happen to be in one of the top areas in the country for great seafood, and I’d advise you to take full advantage of that fact.  Grouper, shrimp, mahi, tuna, oysters, snapper, bass, and flounder – we’ve got all that and more.

I can give you lots of tips and great recipes, but when it comes to seafood, the most important part of the process takes place when you purchase the ingredients for your dinner.  No matter what you do to your fish, the quality of what you buy will have more influence over your finished product than anything I can tell you to do in the kitchen.

Like many things in life, I’m afraid getting the good stuff can come down to the old maxim, “It’s who you know, not what you know.”  This can take some time and effort on your part but it’s easily done if you’re willing to lay a little groundwork.

The first step is to find a good fishmonger.  This can take a little bit of detective work on your part so put on your trench coat, cock your fedora at a jaunty angle, and get to work.  Ask the chef at your favorite restaurant where he or she buys their fish.  Ask your neighbors, or if you’re here for a shorter period of time, your real estate agent.  Those people know everyone and everything about the area.  What you’re looking for is a market that is known for its fish and sells a lot of it.  This is important.  A high rate of product turnover ensures that the store is getting a constant supply of fresh fish.

Once you’ve decided on a store, patronize it regularly.  Ask the person who waits on you what their name is and remember it.  If you can get them to tell you the names of their spouse and kids, even better.  Be polite and friendly, but be firm.  Above all, ask questions.  (See sidebar on questions.)

In order to get the freshest fish possible it is important for you to keep your cooking plans flexible.  Let’s say you’ve decided to make grouper for dinner, but the grouper has a strong odor or looks dried out and spotty.  Forget about the grouper.  Check out the mahi, striped bass, or tuna, and go with whatever looks best.

The market where you buy the fish should ideally have the fish packed on ice and it should be displayed in such a way that you can smell it and touch it.  These stores are becoming rare, but they are worth seeking out.  If there is no way for you to get close to the fish, go ahead and select the fish you are interested in, have them wrap it up, and then unwrap the package right there in front of them.  Give it a sniff.  Fresh fish should smell like the ocean.  If you detect any off odors, hand the fish right back and try again.  I know this sounds a little in-your-face, but you have to keep in mind that you deserve the good stuff and your money is as good as anyone else’s.  If you don’t quite have the wherewithal to check out the fish while you’re still in the store, please check it out as soon as you get home and be prepared to turn around and go back to the store to return it if you aren’t happy with the quality.

                                                                                               Chef Beth Flaherty

Don’t be surprised if you have to do this at least once.  Even the best stores sometimes hold fish a little longer than they’d like to, and you can’t really blame them for trying to sell it.  It does mean that you always have to be somewhat on your guard.  There is no need to get irate, and no need to browbeat the person waiting on you.  Again, be polite, but firm.  Ask them to pick out the fish they would buy.  They will remember you and you’re much more likely to get the good stuff first time around the next time you go back.

 

 

Oysters

Because oysters pick up the flavor of their surroundings, most oysters are named after the waters from which they were harvested.  When you buy oysters, make sure the shell is tightly closed.  Unlike clams or mussels, which are usually all right if they gape a little, oysters must be tightly sealed or they will dry out and die.  When you get your oysters home, arrange them on a baking sheet or platter with the flat side of the shell up and store them in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Oysters will usually come to you with a lot of sand and grit on the outside, so you want to scrub the outside with a bristle brush to get as much of the dirt off as you can, especially at the hinge area.  Never use soap!  Depending on how fresh they are when you get them, unshucked oysters will keep for up to five days in the fridge, but I recommend that you use them as soon as possible.  Wait to shuck the oyster until within a few hours of serving them.  After shucking, place in a shallow pan lined with rock salt so that the brine doesn’t run out.  Cover them with a layer of plastic wrap and damp towels.

The shucking of the oyster seems to be the most problematic area for cooks who are unused to working with them, but this is an easy skill to master and it doesn’t require as much strength or physical dexterity as you may think.  Get a couple of kitchen towels and an oyster knife .  .  . NOT a sharp kitchen knife or even a butter knife.  Some people may also want to use a chain metal glove to protect the hand holding the oyster, but if you do this right you will run little risk of hurting yourself.

First, fold the towel and put it in your left hand (if you are right-handed) and put an oyster on the towel.  Next, examine the oyster.  The trick to opening oysters is to find the best place to sneak in with the oyster knife between the two shells.  The easiest place to try is near the hinge of the oyster.  Put the tip of the oyster knife into the little gap near the hinge and then twist the handle to loosen the top shell.  If you stick with a twisting motion instead of a pushing motion, you will be unlikely to slip and loose control of the knife.

Once the top shell lifts slightly—you will feel it give—slide the knife along the bottom of the top shell to detach the muscle.  Remove and discard the top shell.  (Please see article next month on the disposal of oyster shells.)  Once you’ve removed the top shell, you may find grit or pieces of broken shell inside the oyster.  Reach around and under the oyster with your forefinger to pull out any debris.  If the oyster seems particularly gritty, hold the meat of the oyster under cold running water and then rinse out the shell.  I know this sounds like you’re washing away the flavor, but in fact it has little effect.  The oyster shell will immediately fill again with the oyster’s brine.

 

Baked Oysters with Chardonnay

24 oysters on the half shell
2 shallots, minced
1 T. butter
1 c. Chardonnay
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 t. yellow curry powder
Rock salt

Drain the oysters, reserving the juice.  Keep refrigerated, covered with a damp towel.

Sauté the shallots in butter for a minute to soften.  Add the wine and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for six to eight minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.  Add the reserved oyster juice and cook two more minutes.  Add cream and reduce for ten-twelve minutes or until liquid is again reduced by half and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Stir in the curry.

Pour rock salt in the bottom of a roasting pan.  Arrange the oysters on the salt.  Season with pepper and one tablespoon of the sauce each.  Bake at 450 degrees for three-four minutes or until oysters are cooked and cream is beginning to brown.   Serve immediately.

 

 

Scallops

Although there are dozens of species of scallops in the world, American cooks are likely to run across only three species:  sea scallops, bay scallops, and calico scallops.

Calico scallops are sometimes sold as bay scallops, even though they are smaller and have less flavor.  They look like pencil erasers and have a similar flavor.  Avoid these.

Bay scallops—smaller than sea scallops—are harvested from October through March and are very expensive and hard to find around here.

Sea scallops are almost always shucked at sea and usually on boats that stay out for up to ten days, so they are rarely perfectly fresh.  It’s common practice to soak them for several hours in a tripolyphosphate solution to plump them up and help preserve them.  This is disastrous if you sauté scallops, because the water all runs out when the scallop gets hot, making it impossible for the scallop to brown.  These scallops are “wet-pack” scallops and have a shiny appearance and tend to be cheaper than “dry-pack” scallops.  They also have a somewhat metallic flavor that some find unpleasant.

“Dry” scallops have not been soaked and can vary in color from white to ivory to pinkish orange.  They are more expensive and have a shorter shelf life, but the flavor and texture are far superior to the wet.

Quick-frozen scallops are frozen immediately after being shucked instead of being kept in a ship’s hold for up to ten days.  They often have a fresher taste than fresh scallops.  Defrost these completely before cooking and store them in a pan lined with a kitchen towel to absorb the moisture that they will “sweat” as they defrost.  Dry again with paper towels before cooking.

A scallop’s size is designated by the number per pound.  For example, U-10 (under ten per pound) scallops are huge, and one or two scallops per person are often enough for a large appetizer portion.

Two final tips for cooking scallops:  Sea scallops usually come with a small, hard muscle attached to the side which must be removed before cooking.  And lastly, the biggest problem with scallops is overcooking.  These little bivalves dry out and toughen quickly if overexposed to heat.

Citrus Scallop Ceviche

1 lb. sea scallops, sliced 1/4” thick
2 stalks celery, 1/4” diced
1/3 c. red onion, minced
1 large orange or tangerine, peeled, in segments
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. cilantro leaves
1 T. minced fresh chives

In a shallow glass dish, spread the scallop slices in a single layer.  In a small bowl, combine the celery, tangerine or orange, onion, lime juice, and olive oil, and season with pepper.  Mix well and spoon over the scallops.  Cover and refrigerate until the scallops start to turn opaque, at least one hour or up to four hours.

Add the cilantro and chives to the scallops and toss.  Season with salt.  Arrange the ceviche in a shallow bowl or platter and serve with toasted bread.

Shrimp

We are very fortunate to live in one of the few areas of the country where we can get incredible fresh local shrimp during the warmer months.  When possible, buy local and fresh.

Most shrimp sold in supermarkets and some fish markets has been previously frozen, whether the seller admits it or not.   Fortunately, shrimp freezes well and looses little of its original flavor or texture.  You are better off buying raw shrimp frozen instead of buying defrosted shrimp, as shrimp tends to break down very quickly once it’s been in a display case for two or three days.

Shrimp sold at the fish store are usually given ambiguous size names such as jumbo, large, and medium.  The retailer, on the other hand, buys shrimp according to the number of shrimp per pound.  On every box there is a number—usually with a spread of four or nine — that indicates the size of the shrimp.  Very large shrimp are U/10 or under ten shrimp per pound.  The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp.

Brazilian Shrimp Stew

Serves 6
1 1/4 lb. 16/20 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 t. black pepper
1 1/2 t. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1 14-15-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 t. olive oil
1/2 t. cayenne
5 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 c. unsweetened coconut milk

Toss shrimp with black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic, and lime juice and marinate, covered and chilled, twenty minutes.

Puree tomatoes with juice with a hand blender to desired chunkiness.

Cook onion and bell pepper in olive oil in a twelve-inch skillet over moderately low heat, stirring until softened eight-ten minutes.  Add cayenne, one tablespoon cilantro, and remaining teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, one minute.  Add tomato puree and simmer briskly, stirring until mixture is very thick, about fifteen minutes.  Stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer, then add shrimp and marinade and cook, stirring until shrimp are cooked through, about three-five minutes.  Stir in remaining cilantro and season with salt and pepper. 

Sidebard Q & A for the Fishmonger

1.  “Was this fish previously frozen?” – Hint:  While fresh fish is normally best, frozen fish has its advantages as well, particularly if you are a sushi lover.  It is recommended that your fish be frozen to minus ten degrees Fahrenheit for seven days to kill parasites and most bacteria that would otherwise be killed by cooking the fish.  The other advantage is that when fish is frozen at sea and then shipped, it comes to you almost as fresh as fish just off the boat.

2.  If the fish had been previously frozen, “When was it defrosted?”  If it wasn’t defrosted today, see if you can buy the fish still frozen.

3.  “Are these scallops wet-pack or dry-pack?” – See answer under scallops.

4.  “Did you buy the fish off of the boat or from a supplier?”  If they bought it off of the boat today, you won’t be able to find fish much fresher than that.  If they bought it fresh from a supplier, ask when they got the delivery and keep in mind that it took a few days for the fish to get from the ocean, to the supplier, to the market.

5.  “What would you buy?”  Listen carefully and take any advice given.