SHELLFISH

There are two classifications of shellfish:

1. Mollusks: soft sea animals that fall into three main categories:

• Univalves, which have a single shell (such as abalone and conch)

• Bivalves, which have a pair of hinged shells (such as clams and oysters)

• Cephalopods (such as octopus, squid and cuttlefish)

2. Crustaceans: animals with segmented shells and jointed legs 26

Shellfish

Classification

Mollusks - univalvesConch

Caribbean & Florida Keys

lean meat, smooth, firm

sweet smoky flavor

chewy texture

pound to tenderize

eaten raw

slow cooked

Abalone

harvested in California

not permitted to ship out of state or can

imported from Japan - canned

sweet delicate flavor , similar to clams

must be tenderized

raw or seviche

tough when over cooked

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Mollusks - Bivalves

Oysters

Clams

Mussels

Scallops

Oysters - characteristics

Rough irregular shell

Extremely delicate and soft flesh

Available all year, best in fall, winter, spring

Eastern - known by local point of origin along east coast

Olympia - Pacific ocean - very small

Belon - mouth of Loire River, France , (European flat oyster now grown in

North America) -

Japanese/Pacific - large from Pacific coast

Malpeque Oyster, PEI

Oysters - Market Forms1. Live, in shell

2. Shucked - fresh or frozen - graded by count per gallon

Grade Number per gallon

extra large 160 or less

large 161 - 200

medium 211 - 300

small 301 - 500

very small over 500

Oysters - freshnessOysters in the shell must be alive to eat

Strong odor indicates spoilage

Scrub shells to ensure dirt removal

Store in cold wet place, usually on ice

-1° to 1 ° C

Shucking Oysters

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Clams - East Coast - North America

1. Hard shells - based on size

‣ Littlenecks - most tender

‣ Cherrystones - most common, good for steaming or raw

‣ Chowders - tough, chopped for cooking or cut into strips for frying

Clams - Soft shells

Long tube protrudes from the shell

Shells do not close completely

Classically served steamed in broth served with melted butter

Geoduck clam

Cockles

Not technically clams, but look similar

No more than 1 inch(2.5 cm) across

Cooked the same as clams and served in their shell

Market Forms

Live, in shell

Shucked, fresh or frozen

Canned, whole or chopped

Freshness & Quality

Clams in the shell must be alive, no cracks in shells, discard clams that do not open when steaming

Shucked or live, must smell fresh, no off odor

Cooking Methods

Clams will be tough and rubbery if over cooked, ie. steam in shell, until shell just opens to keep them tender

1. Steaming

2. Poaching

3. Deep-frying

4. Baked on the half shell with toppings

5. simmering in soups or chowders

Opening Clams

Calms can be sandy

Soak in salt water for 20 minutes to expel sand, repeat if necessary

Some chefs use flour or cornmeal to encourage clams or mussels to expel sand

Opening Clams

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Mussels

Characteristics

‣ green - New Zealand or Southeast Asia

‣ blue - wild

‣ dark blue - farmed

Freshness & Cleaning

Check for freshness the same as oysters and clams

Push slightly opened shells together to see if they are alive and will close

Soak to remove sand

Cleans shells thoroughly

Remove the beard

Scallops - Characteristics

1. Almost always sold shucked

2. Most common only the adductor muscle

3. Creamy white in color

4. Sweet flavor

5. Available all year

scallop with roe or coral

http://www.aquaculture.ca/files/species-scallops.php

Kinds of scallops

1. Bay Scallops - small, delicate flavor, expensive, 32-40 per pound

2. Sea scallops - larger, still tender, unless overcooked, 10-15 per pound

bay scallop sea scallop

Market Forms

1. Fresh, shucked, sold by weight

‣ many chefs prefer fresh product

2. Frozen

‣ IQF (individually quick frozen)

‣ 5 lb blocks

‣ (most sold in grocery stores are previously frozen)

Cooking Scallops

Cooked in the same manner as fish

Saute, deep fry, broil, poach,

Over cooking will make the scallops rubbery