Seafood Tips
Shopping for fresh Fish
Once you have found the right
place to buy your fresh seafood the next step is to select what you would
like to cook. There are certain things you should look for when buying shellfish.
Here are a few ways you can make sure the seafood you are buying is fresh.
Clams
On the east coast, clam species include soft-shell or longnecks, and on the
west coast, one finds hard-shell clams as well as soft-shelled razor clams.
When buying hard-shell clams, make sure the shells are tightly closed. As
with all mollusks, if the shell doesn't shut, it means the clam is dead and
should not be eaten. Soft shell clams are more elusive in death. To test if
a soft-shell clam is alive, lightly poke the neck – if it moves, the
clam is alive.
Crabs
When choosing live crabs, look for those that are active, have hard shells
(except if it is a soft shell variety) and are heavy for their size. The shells
should be brightly colored and moist, not dry or flaky, and there shouldn't
be any scaly white patches on the legs.
Cooked whole crabs have a slightly sweet, fresh smell, with translucent flesh
around the body and back, and ruddy colored flesh in the legs.
Crayfish
This little critter resembles a tiny lobster, and is very popular in the Southern
United States. Like crabs, crayfish should be active and crawly, with hard,
shiny, brightly colored bodies. They should feel heavy for their size, which
indicates that they contain a goodly amount of meat.
Lobsters
When buying whole, live lobsters, look for those that are active, not sluggish
in their tanks. If the lobsters are displayed in a holding tank, the water
in the tank should be clear and smell clean, not fishy. When the lobsters
are picked up, their tails should curl tightly under their bodies, and they
should wave their claws vigorously.
Lobsters are categorized according to size. Small lobsters, called chicken
lobsters, weigh up to 1 pound. Quarters weigh a bit more, at 1 1/4 pounds.
The next size up are called large, or select, and can weigh 1 1/2 to 2 1/2
pounds. Jumbos weigh more than 2 1/2 pounds, and can grow up to 45 pounds,
although it's rare that a lobster lives long enough to reach that size.
Mussels
Look for live mussels with tightly closed shells or those that snap shut when
tapped – this means they are alive. Avoid those with broken shells, or
that look dry. Mussel shells should look brightly colored, but white patches
are normal and nothing to be wary of.
Oysters
Choose live oysters that have tightly closed, unbroken shells. Oysters should
be displayed with the curved shell on top (this prevents the oyster liquor
- the liquid that surrounds them in the shell - from seeping out). They should
be placed on ice or in a refrigerated case, and have a relatively clean appearance
(for an oyster).
Shucked oysters should be packed in containers in their own liquor, which
should be clear or opalescent, never cloudy or white.
Scallops
Because scallops perish quickly out of water they are usually sold already
shucked.
Look for those with a pearly, off-white, or pale golden color. Bright white
scallops may have been treated with phosphates to keep them fresher longer,
and should be avoided. If you're unsure, ask your fishmonger. Scallops should
also have a sweet fresh smell; a spoiled scallop smells sulfurous.
Scallops are classified in two broad groups: the larger sea scallops, which
can be 1 1/4 to 2-inches in diameter, and bay scallops, which are usually
about 1/2 to 1 inch in size. If you do see scallops in the shell, buy them
since that is a sure sign of freshness. Plus, scallops in the shell are often
sold with the pinkish roe still attached, which is delicious cooked along
with the scallop.
Shrimp
Choose raw, shelled shrimp that are moist and translucent. The color should
be bright and lively, and the texture firm, not limp. Unshelled shrimp should
have shiny firm shells that are tightly attached to their bodies, not falling
away. Beware of black spots under and on the shells, which means the shrimp
are past their peak.
Cooked shrimp will be brightly pink-orange and white. They may or may not
be shelled. If they are still in the shell, look for shiny, tanslucent (not
cloudy) shells that aren't torn. Shelled shrimp should have firm bodies that
retain a curled shape. Flat, limp shrimp are either overcooked, or have been
sitting around too long.
Squid
Squid should be of firm flesh and have bright, clear, off-white meat. If
they aren't cleaned, they should have a speckled, purplish skin, which shouldn't
be torn or shredding. The tentacles should be stiff and intact, not broken
and limp.
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