INFORMATION SHEET 4QR-11.2.

1
“PREPARATION OF SEAFOOD DISHES”

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
 perform Mise‘en place;
 prepare and cook seafood dishes;
 present seafood dishes; and
 store seafood dishes.

Classifications of Seafood

1. Fin fish – fish with fins and internal skeletons

A. Saltwater fish – also called as marine fish are fish that live in ocean water.

 Flatfish
a) Flounder
b) Sole
 Round fish
a) Black sea bass
b) Bluefish
c) Cod
d) Grouper

B. Freshwater fish- are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes
with a salinity of less than 1.05%.
 Cat fish
 Eel
 Tilapia

2. Shell fish – fish with external shells but no internal bone structure. They have hard outer
shells.

TWO CLASSIFICATIONS OF SHELLFISH

1. Mollusks – are soft sea animals

 Bivalves – they have a pair of hinged shells (clams, oysters)
 Univalves – they have a single shell (abalone)
  Cephalopods – (octopus, squid)

2. Crustaceans – are animals with segmented shells and jointed legs (shrimps, crabs)

Parts of a Fish

COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE:

 Fish consists of water, protein, fats and small amount of minerals and vitamins.
 Fish has very little connective tissue. It means:
 Fish cooks very quickly, even at low heat.
 Fish is naturally tender. High heat will result to toughening of protein.
 Moist-heat methods are used not to create tenderness but to preserve moistness and
provide variety.
 Cooked fish must be handled very carefully.
 Fat Fish -- are those that are high in fat. (salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel)
 Lean Fish – are those that are low in fat. (sole, cod, red snapper, bass)
MARKET FORMS

 Whole or round – completely intact, as caught

 Drawn – viscera removed
 Dressed -- viscera, scales, head, tail and fins removed
 Steaks – cross-section slices, each containing a section of backbone
 Fillets – boneless side of fish, with or without skin
 Butterflied fillets – both sides of a fish still joined, but with bones removed
 Sticks or tranches – cross-section slices of fillets

CHARACTERISTICS OF SHELLFISH

Mollusks
 Oysters have rough, irregular shells.
 Flesh of oyster is extremely soft and delicate and contains high percentage of water.
 Hard-shell clams – can be eaten raw
 Soft-shell clams are called steamers. The usual way to cook is to steam.
 The shells of mussels are not as heavy as clamshells, yellow to orange in color and firm but
tender when cooked.
 Scallops are creamy white in color and have a sweet flavor.
 Squid is somewhat chewy and are cut up or either fried quickly.

Crustaceans

 The lobster shell is dark green or bluish green but turns red when cooked.
 Live lobster must be alive when cooked.

MARKET FORMS
A. Mollusks
o live in the shell
o shucked – fresh or frozen
o canned
B. Crustaceans
o live
o cooked meat, fresh or frozen

CHECKING FRESHNESS OF FISH

A. Fin Fish
 Fresh and mild odor
 Eyes are clear, shiny and bulging
 Red or pink gills
 Texture of flesh is firm or elastic
 Shiny scales, and tightly cling, on skin
B. Shellfish
 Oysters, clams, mussels in the shell must be alive. Tightly closed shells when jostled.
 Live or shucked oysters must have a very mild, sweet smell.
 Discard any mussels that are very light in weight or seem to be hollow.
 Strong fishy odor or a brownish color is a sign of age or spoilage.
 Live lobster must be alive when cooked. The meat will be firm and the tail springs back
when straightened.
 Frozen shrimp should be solidly frozen when received.
 Glazed shrimp should be shiny with no freezer burn.
 All shrimps should smell fresh and sweet. A strong fishy or iodine smell indicates age or
spoilage.
 Live crabs should be kept alive until cooked.
 Frozen crabmeat should be treated like any other frozen fish.

HANDLING AND STORAGE OF FISH

Fresh Fish
Store on crushed ice. Use drip pans to allow for drainage of melted ice. Change ice daily. Cover
container or store in separate box away from other foods. Whole fish should be drawn because entrails
deteriorate rapidly.
Cut fish should be wrapped or left in original moisture-proof wrap.
In refrigerated box at 30° to 34°F (-1° to 1°C.
Fresh fish may be stored for 1 to 2 days. If kept longer, wrap and freeze immediately.
Check store fish for freshness just before using.

Frozen Fish
 Frozen products should be frozen, not thawed when received.
 Items should be well wrapped, with no freezer burn.
 Store at 0°F (-18°C. or colder.
 Maximum storage time Fat fish -- 2 months Lean fish -- 6 months
 Rotate stock – first in, first out

Thawing and Handling of frozen fish

 Thaw in refrigerator, never at room temperature. If pressed for time, keep in original moisture-
proof wrapper and thaw under cold running water.
 Small pieces like fillets and steaks can be cooked from frozen state to prevent excessive drip
loss.
 Large fish should be thawed for even cooking.
  Fillets that are to be breaded can be partially thawed.
 Handle thawed fish as fresh fish. Do not refreeze.
 Breaded, battered and other frozen prepared fish items are mostly cooked from frozen state.

1. SHELLFISH
o Keep refrigerated (32°F to 35°F/0° to 2°C).
o protect from light. Store in original sack and keep sack damp.

2. SCALLOPS
o Shucked scallops can be cooked without further preparation.
o Keep scallops covered and refrigerated (30°F to 34°F). Do not let them rest directly on ice or
they will lose flavor and become watery.

3. LOBSTERS
o Live lobsters are either live or cup up before cooking. Live lobsters are plunged head first into
boiling water, then simmered for 5 – 6 minutes. If served hot, they are drained well and split in
half, and claws are cracked.
o Live lobsters can be kept in two ways
o packed in moist seaweed, kept in a cool place in saltwater
o Cooked lobster meat must be covered and refrigerated at 30° to 34°F. It is very perishable and
should be used in 1 – 2 days.

4. SHRIMPS
o Kept frozen at 0°F (-18°C). or lower
o Thaw in refrigerator
o Peeled shrimp should be wrapped before placing on ice
o Shrimp served hot must be peeled and deveined before cooking
o Shrimp to be served cold, must be peeled after cooking to preserve flavor.

5. CRABS
o Live crabs should be kept alive until cooked.
o Frozen crabmeat is very
 SELF-CHECK 4QR-11.2.7

1. What are the basic instructions in handling fish?

2. What are the classifications of seafood?

3. How would you know if a fish is fresh?

SELF-CHECK KEY ANSWER 4QR-11.2.8

1. What are the basic instructions in handling fish?
a) Fresh Fish
Store on crushed ice. Use drip pans to allow for drainage of melted ice. Change ice daily. Cover
container or store in separate box away from other foods. Whole fish should be drawn because entrails
deteriorate rapidly.
Cut fish should be wrapped or left in original moisture-proof wrap.
In refrigerated box at 30° to 34°F (-1° to 1°C.
Fresh fish may be stored for 1 to 2 days. If kept longer, wrap and freeze immediately.
Check store fish for freshness just before using.
b) Frozen Fish
 Frozen products should be frozen, not thawed when received.
 Items should be well wrapped, with no freezer burn.
 Store at 0°F (-18°C. or colder.
 Maximum storage time Fat fish -- 2 months Lean fish -- 6 months
 Rotate stock – first in, first out

2. What are the classifications of seafood?

a) Fin fish – fish with fins and internal skeletons
b) Shell fish – fish with external shells but no internal bone structure. They have hard outer
shells.
3. How would you know if a fish is fresh?
A. Fin Fish
 Fresh and mild odor
 Eyes are clear, shiny and bulging
 Red or pink gills
 Texture of flesh is firm or elastic
 Shiny scales, and tightly cling, on skin
B. Shellfish
 Oysters, clams, mussels in the shell must be alive. Tightly closed shells when jostled.
 Live or shucked oysters must have a very mild, sweet smell.
 Discard any mussels that are very light in weight or seem to be hollow.
 Strong fishy odor or a brownish color is a sign of age or spoilage.
 Live lobster must be alive when cooked. The meat will be firm and the tail springs back
when straightened.
 Frozen shrimp should be solidly frozen when received.
 Glazed shrimp should be shiny with no freezer burn.
 All shrimps should smell fresh and sweet. A strong fishy or iodine smell indicates age or
spoilage.