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Fish & seafood. Categories of Seafood:. 1 – Fish 2 – Shellfish 3 – Invertebrates Fish can be divided into various sub categories according to habitat, shape and flesh type. Fish.
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Categories of Seafood: 1 – Fish 2 – Shellfish 3 – Invertebrates Fish can be divided into various sub categories according to habitat, shape and flesh type.
Fish • True fish have an internal skeleton and a backbone. Most fish have a bony skeleton but some fish like sharks have a skeleton made up of pieces of cartilage (hard connective tissue).
Freshwater Habitat refers to where the fish lives and is divided into two categories: freshwater and saltwater. Saltwater Trout, Redfin, Carp, Murray Cod, Eel Shark, Herring, Snapper, Mackerel, Mulloway
Shape refers to the general shape and appearance of the fish. There are two broad categories, round and flat. Flat Round Sole, Flounder, Halibut, Brill, Plaice, Turbot, Skate Mackerel, Mullet, Taylor, Atlantic Salmon
Flesh refers to the colour and texture of flesh of the fish. There are two categories, white or dark. White Dark Flounder, Sole, Snapper, Whiting Herring, Atlantic Salmon, Tuna, Mullet, Skate
Shellfish • The main difference between fish and shellfish is their skeleton. Shellfish have an external skeleton or shell. There are two main categories of shellfish, crustaceans and molluscs.
Crustaceans Molluscs Mussels, Clams, Pipis, Oysters, Scallops, Abalone and Cockles Crabs, Moreton Bay Bugs, Crayfish, Marron, Yabbies, Prawns and Scampi
Invertebrates • Invertebrates are spineless marine animals with no outer shell. They include the squid and octopus family. Squid, Octopus, Cuttlefish and Sea-Cucumbers
Selecting Seafood • Seafood has a very limited shelf life and is at it's best when served fresh. So it is very important that you check seafood for freshness and quality before use. The following information is a good guide to selecting seafood. • (Please do refer a table)
Preparing Seafood • Fish needs to be properly prepared before it can be used. This may include gutting (removal of the fish intestines), scaling (removal of the fishes outer scales) and de-heading (removing the head). • Gutting and scaling should be completed in an area set aside for this purpose and which can be thoroughly cleaned after use. Running water and a sink with a suitable trap (for scales) are essential. • Once the fish has been cleaned it can then be prepared further into smaller fillets or cuts. Some fish preparations require the skin and or scales to be left on.
How to Store Seafood • Well managed frozen prawns can be every bit as delightful as fresh prawns and in some cases they can even be fresher - as larger vessels catch-cook-and freeze onboard. • To keep that locked-in delicious sea taste when thawing your frozen prawns (both cooked & green) it is recommended to swim the product in a light brine (salty iced water). • Add sea salt to a tub of icy water, taste it, and when you think it tastes like the sea toss in your frozen prawns to thaw.
(1) KEEPING YOUR SEAFOOD IN THE FRIDGEMost importantly 'fresh is best' and seafood where possible should be consumed immediately where possible. • It is not always practical for us to eat our seafood straight away so here are some tips to help you keep the seafood in prime condition. • There are a couple of important factors to keeping seafood in the fridge:
Continue… • Always make sure the seafood is covered appropriately, see below (this stops the seafood odour effecting your open dairy products). • Never allow it to sit in its own juice, make sure you have the seafood draining (and tip out the drained juices frequently). Cover with ice and place in the coldest part of your fridge - which is usually the bottom shelf, seafood is best refrigerated at 0 - 4 degrees centigrade. It is not a good practice to allow any seafood to sit in its own juices for any length of time.
Continue… • Whole FishIf the fish is in the fridge for a very short time (eg; waiting for the oven to heat up) then it is ok to store it on a dinner plate covered with a sheet of glad bake.If you are keeping it in the fridge for a little longer then: • Fill a plastic container or oven tray with ice (break the cube ice up a little bit by bashing it in a tea towel) put the whole fish in the tray propped up (like it was swimming in the sea), doing this allows the juices to drain through the fish to the bottom of the tray. Laying it down in the tray creates a pond of juices on one side of the fish flesh. Cover with a sheet of silicone paper (glad bake) - not glad wrap. • The paper can just be loosely over the fish you don't need to wrap it. The paper creates both an odour barrier to stop the seafood odour leeching into your open dairy products and barrier to stop the fridge from drying out your fish.
Continue… • Fish FilletsIdeally it should be stored in a container that allows drainage. You will need a small bread & butter plate, an extra large dinner plate and silicone paper (glad bake). Place the B&B plate upside down on top of the dinner plate, lay the fillets over the B&B plate. • This method allows you to easily drain off the juices that have collected around the rim of the dinner plate.
Continue… • Prawns, crabsPlace the prawns in a large colander (large strainer) put a plastic container / bowl or tray underneath to catch the juices and cover the prawns / crab with a little ice and a sheet of glad bake.
(2) FREEZING SEAFOODThe most important thing when freezing seafood is to make sure the seafood is as fresh as possible. Before freezing, prepare fish as for use. If you want to serve it in fillet form, then it is best filleted before freezing.
Continue… • Whole FishMust be gilled and gutted first. Scales can be left on as these act as an insulator retaining flavour and moisture. • However, if scaling is done beforehand it is one less step of preparation before cooking the fish. Whole fish can be trimmed and wrapped in plastic wrap, (put extra plastic wrap over the fins that may have potential to puncture the freezer bag), then place in a freezer bag. • Remove air from the bag (a freezer pump is ideal) and seal. This will help prevent the fish from dying out and excess ice forming inside the bag. Lay flat in freezer. Label and date.
Continue… • PrawnsThe ideal way to freeze prawns is in frozen block form. Prawns can be frozen raw (green) or cooked. • Best is to leave the shell and head on, as this acts as an insulator. • Place prawns in a freezer proof container i.e. plastic freezer ware, filling the container to three quarters with product and leaving room for water to be added. Cover with water, seal with lid and tape around lid. Label and date.
(3) THAWING SEAFOODHere are a couple of ways for you to thaw seafood quickly and safely.
Continue… • Whole FishThaw in the refrigerator (preferably the top shelf / the warmest part of the fridge). • Make sure the draining water is caught in a container and the product is not sitting in its own juice. • Remove the draining juices frequently.
Continue… • PrawnsYou can use the same method as above or you can:Make a brine: Fill your sink with cool tap water and tip in enough ice to create an icy slurry. Add a little rock salt, dip your finger in and taste the water. • If it tastes like the sea then you have yourself a brine. • Take your prawns out of the container (in the block), place into the brine. As the prawns become free from the block and are loose in the brine, check frequently. • When they are firm but not solid then take them out of the brine and put into a strainer or bowl and serve. Or put back in the fridge on the bottom shelf using the fridge storing method above.