 If you’ve ever tasted seafood prepared by a master chef, you know how ambrosial it can be: moist, juicy and flavorful. You too can prepare seafood to gourmet standards, with some tips from the pros.
There are many ways to cook seafood, such as lobster, crab or salmon. You must take your cue from the ingredient itself, using the natural features of each type of seafood to determine the best cooking method.
We have put together some useful tips for gourmet seafood preparation. Bon appetit!
Check The Fat Content: Fish with a low percentage of fat will be easy to prepare (but also easy to overcook): you must poach it in broth or water, or bake it briefly to get the best flavor. Marinades such as lemon pepper or teriyaki will enhance the flavor of low-fat fish. Baking in the oven at 450 for 10 minutes should be more than sufficient to produce a lovely, browned filet with excellent moisture retention.
Higher-fat fish has stronger taste and deeper color than low-fat varieties. You can grill it for a few minutes on each side, after a liberal brushing of oil, or bake it in the oven as you do with flakier, lighter types of fish. This type of filet will give you a richer, meatier effect, and it can be marinated as well. You can also use your microwave to cook fish quickly: check your manual for the best cooking times for fish: every microwave is different! Consider your barbecue for a wonderful outdoor grilled flavor: filets can be wrapped in foil with a coating of olive oil, cracked pepper and lemon juice: the taste will be amazing, and the foil will keep the fish from drying out or sticking to the grill.
Lobster and Crab Cooking Tips: If you buy your lobster live, you will need to kill it before cooking it, and that can be harder than you think. It is recommended that the lobster be placed in a freezer for two hours before preparing it as dinner! This should provide you with fresh-tasting lobster without any unpleasantness! After you lobster is out of the freezer, briefly thaw it and place it in the biggest pot you have. Add some salt and boil the lobster for 15 mins. More time may be required if you have a very large crustacean. For a gourmet, luxury taste, you should have little pots of melted butter (not margarine) at the ready for dipping.
The crab is very similar to the lobster: you may boil it alive, unless you are squeamish, and the water should be very salty, and similar to seawater. 15 minutes of cooking time should be sufficient for most crabs. To give your fresh crabmeat real cachet, consider preparing crabcakes, a gourmet standard.
Now that you’ve learned some techniques for preparing gourmet seafood at home, you can feel confident enough to experiment! Seafood is protein-rich, often low in fat and calories, and it lends itself well to so many types of preparation.
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