Shellfish

Shellfish, big and small, are among the tastiest of edible things. While some are expensive, they all contribute wonderful flavor, even when only a small amount is used.

There are three kinds of shellfish: First are mollusks, which have hard shells made primarily of calcium compounds. Most mollusks are bivalves, meaning they have two shells, but some, such as limpets and sea snails, have only one. The second group is crustaceans, which have a series of legs to aid in crawling and also have shells, though softer than those of mollusks. Third are cephalopods, literally “foot-heads”, which boast tentacles. The groups are cooked in fundamentally different ways, but members of the same family are often cooked in the same way as their relatives.