How Not To Make Your Lobster Scream

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Oregon Seafood in Hillsboro Oregon

1 Just how to cook a lobster in the most humane manner has been a concern of guilt ridden chefs for many generations. In order to put the matter to a rest scientifically, one researcher instructed his graduate students to boil lobsters after having subjected them to various relaxation techniques.

A. The students determined which method of dispatching them was the kindest by counting the number of tails flicks heard in the kettle before each lobster succumbed to the boiling water and ultimate death.

B. They tried hypnotizing the subjects by rubbing their backs until they stood on their heads, soaking them in fresh water, heating them slowly from room temperature to boiling, and other accepted strategies. But nothing really worked.

C. They found that putting them in the fridge before cooking to numb them up, might be the answer as happens naturally in winter, this resulted in the lowest number of tail twitches. So, according to modern science, a few minutes in the freezer means less agony in the kettle.

D. The most common way to cook lobster before eating is to steam or boil them in sea water or salted water for 10-15 minutes.

2 What’s the green stuff?

A. It is the lobster’s liver or more accurately, its digestive system. Although many people like to eat the this tomalley it probably is not a good idea because this is where pollution in the lobster’s own meal choices would become concentrated in the lobster’s body.

3 What is the red stuff?

A. It is the roe, the unfertilized eggs of the female. Lobster eggs were once considered a delicacy, like caviar. The roe is also called coral because of its bright red color.

4 What is the nutritional value of lobster?

A. Nutrition studies show that 3 1/2 ounces of lobster meat (without the butter) contains only 90 calories, compared to 163 calories for the same amount of chicken and 280 calories for sirloin steak. Lobster also contains omega-3 fatty acids, the good cholesterol that seems to reduce hardening of the arteries and decrease the risk of heart attacks.

B. So it’s pretty easy to see that eating lobster is an excellent healthy choice. Seafood in general is a good way to reduce heart attack risk, improved brain function, and over all weight balance and good health.

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Seafood Fresh Red Snapper

Oregon Seafood Hillsboro Oregon

1 Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime, asserts an old proverb. Well, not quite. There is one more step. You also have to teach the man how to cook the fish. And for those of you non anglers who procure your fish at a fish market, you’ll need to know how to select your fish as well.

2 Fish are divided into two broad categories, fish and shellfish, which I amusingly refer to as “swimmy” fish and “crawly” fish. Our current discussion will focus on the former. Swimmy fish are further subdivided into flatfish and roundfish. Flatfish are shaped like a flat oval and swim horizontally along the sea floor. Both their eyes are on top of their head. You can obtain four fillets from a flatfish. Roundfish have a rounder body with an eye on each side of their head and yield two fillets, one from each side.

3 Fish also vary on their fat content. Generally speaking, the higher the fat content the darker the flesh. Very lean fish include red snapper, sea bass, flounder, and cod. Moderately fat fish include striped bass, swordfish, and Atlantic salmon, and high fat fish include eel, mackerel, and bluefish. All fish are high in protein, B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorous.

4 Fish deteriorate rapidly and you must be very picky when selecting them. Fresh fish should not smell fishy. If it has anything beyond a mild aroma of the ocean do not buy it. The eyes should be clear, the gills bright red, the skin moist, and the flesh firm. When you press the flesh it should spring back. If it has been gutted check the belly to ensure it is free of browning. If the entails were not removed promptly, enzymes in the stomach can begin to disintegrate the flesh. If you really want to be safe, go to Oregon Seafood.

5 Fish can be stored for up to two days but I strongly recommend using it within one day. Ideally it should be consumed the same day you buy it. Whole, gutted fish should be stored in flaked ice. Make sure you fill the body cavity as well. Flaked ice conforms to the shape of the fish better than cubed ice and is less likely to bruise the flesh. Place the iced fish in a perforated pan inside another pan to catch the melting ice and then into the refrigerator. Fillets should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

6 The general rule of thumb for cooking fish is this. Lean, white flesh fish is best suited to poaching, sautéing, pan frying and deep frying, fatty fish is best with dry cooking methods such as grilling and broiling, and moderately fatty fish is amenable to most cooking methods with the possible exception of deep frying.

RED SNAPPER WITH STEWED VEGETABLES. Ingredients.

• 8 new potatoes quartered, skin on • 1 yellow squash, cut into half inch slices • 1 zucchini, cut into half inch slices • Olive oil as needed • 1 clove garlic, minced • Half cup dry white wine • Juice of 2 lemons • 1 and a half cups chicken stock • Salt and pepper to taste • 1 bell pepper (any color), roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into • ¼ inch strips • 1 bunch of chives, chopped • 1 bunch of tarragon, chopped • 4 Red snapper fillets, skin on, 5 oz each

The Directions

1 Saute the potatoes, squash, and zucchini, in olive oil for four minutes. Add the garlic and saute one more minute. Add the wine, lemon juice, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the bell pepper about 5 minutes before the vegetables are done and the chives and tarragon one minute before.

2 Season both sides of the snapper fillets with salt and pepper. Heat another skillet with olive oil and sear the snapper, skin side down, for three minutes or until crisp. Flip it and sauté for another five minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Place the stewed vegetables in a bowl with the fish fillets on top.

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Seafood Popular Fish Tilapia

Seafood at Oregon Seafood in Hillsboro Oregon

1 Tilapia (various species and hybrids of the genus Tilapia) originated from Mediterranean and African countries and has been successfully cultured throughout the world in temperate to tropical regions. Within the last few years, production of tilapia (pronounced “tuh-laa-pee-ah”) in the United States has exceeded freshwater trout.

2 Tilapia is a hardy fish that will thrive in outdoor ponds or high tech tank systems using several different filter types to clean and recycle water. The fish is fed high quality, grain based pellets to produce a mild flavored fillet. Oregon has a wild fishery of tilapia found in Central Oregon lakes and Rivers brackish water estuary that are sold in regional seafood retail shops as fresh, gutted fish.

3 Similar in appearance to bream, tilapia are produced with a wide range of skin colors, black to dark blue to brilliant golden red. Much of the tilapia production in the United States is sold to Asian buyers as a live product, which is generally harvested at 1 to 1 1/2 pounds.

4 Tilapia’s mild flavor and medium to fine-grained flake lends itself well to all types of cooking: fried, broiled, grilled and blackened. Tilapia cooks quickly; when the flesh turns opaque white, it is ready to be served. If fish is cooked in parchment, foil or a sauce, add 5 minutes to the total cooking time. Fillets less than 1/2 inch thick do not need to be turned during cooking. Fish cooks quickly. Do not overcook. Fish is done when the flesh becomes opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Poaching, steaming, baking, broiling, sautéing, microwaving are excellent low-fat cooking methods, if you do not add high fat ingredients.

5 Marinate in your favorite salad dressing prior to cooking. Broil, bake, steam or microwave, then cube and add to pasta or salad greens for a delicious salad. Broil or grill with lime-butter and seasoned salt. Oil the grill to prevent fish from sticking. Bake whole fish with a crab or shrimp stuffing. Add leftover fish in broken pieces to salads, soups or sauces.

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