Sunday 5 August 2012

Know more about the shells we miss from the sea

When we think about sea we remember only prawns and crabs in the category of shells, but there's a whole range of wonderful seafood out there. As meat is losing it's prime we are more and more eating sea food than ever before, especially while dinning out,  and there is a lot quite big variety to choose from.

Shellfish tops the list when it comes to exotica for many people and more here is a quick guide for you.

Oysters:
Slithery and tasting of the sea and ensconced in their hard, wrinkled shell, these are high on the gourmet list. Freshness is imperative, so you must only eat these in places which are very quality conscious.  Now a days oysters are farmed and harvested. As of the style of intake, purists maintain that the best way to eat them is raw, with no more than a squeeze of lemon, but oysters can also be flash fried or whipped into omelets.

Clams:
These come from the Atlantic and pacific coasts. There are many varieties butter, little neck, razor and piso clams. Clams meat is orange in colour and taste pretty much like oysters, its a must have e in ingredient in the American favorite, clam  chowder.

Mussels:
These long shellfish are a European favorite and may bistros and seafood bars will serve vast bowls of mussels steamed with a splash of white wine, garlic and herbs.

Prawns:
Indian coastal waters are home to fabulous range of prawns, and always fresh is the best than the frozen ones. Clean and devein before cooking  as there are a myriad ways to cook prawns, from curries to masala and grilled. But, if you et really fresh specimens, do no more than quick fry them in a little butter or olive oil and enjoy.

Scallops:
Scallops are now a hot ticket on gourmet restaurant menus, they come shelled and cleaned and ready to be seared ever so lightly. The classic French way with scallops is a brochette of the meat, inter - spersed with shallots with a light butter sauce.

Shrimp:
There are various species of shrimps out there. Raw shrimp is distinguished by colour. The common or white shrimp is greenish grey in colour. Prepare and cook just as you would prawns.