Jeni Wright, Eric Treuille, Le Cordon Bleu

Shellfish

Appears in

Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques

By Jeni Wright , Eric Treuille and Le Cordon Bleu

Published 1996

About

Some molluscs require special attention. A live shellfish yields the best flavour, so store mussels or clams in salted water (4 tbsp salt to 1 litre water) not fresh water, which will kill them. Bearding mussels more than a few hours before cooking can spoil them.

Shellfish	What to Look For	Cooking Methods
Clams/Cockles	Shells should be tightly closed, not chipped or broken Shucked clams should be plump and smell fresh throughout	Steam - in shell Grill, bake - half shell Stew, pan-fry - shucked
Crab	Active and heavy Shell undamaged and claws intact	Boil, steam
Lobster	Heavy for size Tail curled under Claws intact and undamaged	Boil, steam - in shell Grill - split
Mussels	Shells tightly shut and undamaged Not light and loose when shaken	Boil, steam - in shell Grill, bake - half shell Pan-fry, stew - shucked
Oysters	Shells tightly closed and undamaged Shucked oysters should be plump and uniform in size with clear liquid	Serve raw Bake, grill - half shell Pan-fry, stew - shucked
Prawns	Firm meat that feels full in the shell Moist appearance and fresh smell Avoid any that smell of chlorine or have black spots on the shell	Pan-fry, deep-fry, stir-fry, grill, barbecue, bake, poach, steam
Scallops	Free of liquid with a sweet fresh odour whether on half shell or shucked Check the body section is plump and creamy white Coral pink and moist Avoid any with a sulphurous smell	Bake, grill - half shell Poach, pan-fry - shucked
Squid/Octopus	Clear eyes, fresh smell White moist flesh	Deep-fry, pan-fry, poach, bake, stew
Whelks/Winkles	Should smell sweet Move into shell when prodded Stew - shelled Lid should be moist and firmly in place	Boil - in shell Stew - shelled