IM No.

9
Course code: MHE 5
Course Title: Principles of Food Preparation

Lesson No.9
Seafood

I. Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

a. Describe the methods of cooking seafood;

b. Identify the different classification of seafood;
c. Identify the market forms of seafood;
d. Know the proper plating and presentation of seafood.

II. Discussion

Humans were eating fish, shellfish, and sea mammals long before they started cultivating plants or
domesticating animals for food. Seafood are quite expensive however, humans particularly with those
fishing is the mode of livelihood utilizes it as their staple food. Seafood are rich in proteins and other
forms of nutrients good for our body.

Prepare and Cook Seafood Dishes

Overview

Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans. Seafood includes fish and shellfish.
Shellfish include various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. A wide variety of fish and
seafood are available in the market from many different sources. There are so many methods for
cooking seafood, most of them are fast and easy, making them the perfect choice for a quick and
healthy meal. This lesson provides information about fish and shellfish, ways on preparing and cooking
fish, along with some of the most popular seafood recipes, and presenting and storing seafood.

Classification of Seafood

Fish products are divided into two categories

I. Fin fish- fish with fins and internal skeletons

A. Saltwater fish

1. flatfish

a. flounder

b. sole

2. round fish

a. black sea bars

b. bluefish

c. cod

d. grouper

B. Freshwater fish

1. cat fish
 2. eel

3. tilapia

ll. Shell fish- fish with external shells but no internal bone structure. They have hard outer shells.

Two classifications of Shellfish

A. Mollusks - are soft sea animals

1. bivalves- they have a pair of hinged shells (clams, oysters)

2. univalves-they have single shell (abalone)

3. cephalopods-(octopus, squid)

B. Crustaceans-are animals with segmented shells and jointed legs (shrimps, crabs)

Parts of a Fish

Composition and Structure:

A fish is made up of water, protein, fats and small amount of minerals and vitamins. It has very
connective tissue. This means that:

1. Fish cooks very quickly, even at low heat.

2. Fish is naturally tender. High heat will result to toughening of protein.
3. Moist-heat methods are used not to create tenderness but to preserve moistness and
provide variety.
4. Cooked fish must be handled very carefully.
A. Fat fish- are those that are high in fat. (salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel)
B. Lean fish-are those that are low in fat.(sole, cod, red snapper, bass)

Three Structural Factors Contribute to Fish Tenderness

 1. Collagen. When compared with meat or poultry, fish muscle has lower amounts of collagen. The
bodies of land animals average 15 percent connective tissue by weight, while fish are only 3
percent collagen (35).
2. Amino Acid Content. Another reason fish is tender is that there is less of a certain amino acid
(hydroxyproline) in the connective tissue, so when fish is cooked, the collagen breaks down
more easily at a lower temperature and converts into gelatine.
3. Muscle Structure. Also unlike mammals and birds, whose muscles are arranged in very long
bundles of fibers, the muscles of fish are shorter (less than an inch in length)and are arrange
into myotomes, which are separated by myocommata. This combination of structure and
chemistry contributes to the characteristics flaking of prepared fish as the heat softens the
collagen in the myocommata.

Market Forms

1. Whole or round- completely intact, as caught

2. Drawn- viscera removed
3. Dressed-viscera, scales, head, tail, and fins removed
4. Steaks- cross-sections slices, each containing a section of backbone
5. Fillets-boneless side of fish, with or without skin
6. Butterflied fillets-both sides of a fish still joined, but with bones removed
7. Sticks or tranches- cross section slices of fillets

Characteristics and Market forms of Shellfish

Shellfish

Characteristics

A. Mollusks
 Oysters have rough, irregular shells.
 Flesh of oysters 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 flavour.
B. 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

1. Live in the shell

2. Shucked-fresh or frozen
3. canned

B. Crustaceans

1. live
2. cooked meat, fresh or frozen

Handle Fish and Seafood

Checking Freshness of fish

 Whole fish Is best when… Do not use fish when…
Appearance: Wet, lustrous sheen, fresh shiny Looks dry, dull, damaged or soiled. The
mucous, any blood in the cavity should blood in cavity is dark, dull, brown or
be bright. black.
Colour: Very bright, distinct, varied colouring. Dull, little variation in colour, washed-
out

Gills: Bright red, moist with mucous. Dull red brown or grey, dry, broken.

Eyes: Shiny and full, with black pupils. Dull, dry, sunken cloudy or grey.

Odour: Like fresh seaweed, pleasant and not Strong or off odours, ammonia smell.
overpowering.

Texture: Very firm, elastic and springy. Dry, sticky, soft, doesn't spring back
when touched.

Scales: Lying flat and shiny, with no signs of Standing up, curled or fall out easily
physical damage. when handled

Crustaceans Are best when… Do not use when…

Appearance: Clean, free of mud or soiling, fresh Dirty or damaged with missing legs
looking shells with no signs of shell and/or claws. Shells are soft.
damage.
Odour: A fresh clean smell. Strong or off odours, ammonia smell.

General: If purchasing live they should be active They are inactive or appear to be
and lively. dead.

Mollusks Are best when... Do not use when...

Appearance Clean, free of mud or soiling, fresh Dirty or damaged with cracked and/or
looking shells, with no signs of shell soft shells.
damage.
Odour A fresh, clean smell. Strong or off odours, ammonia smell.

General If purchasing live the shells should be Open shells that do not close when
tightly closed. tapped or do not open when cooked.

Fin Fish

1. Fresh and mild odor

2. Eyes are clear, shiny and bulging
3. Red or pink gills
4. Texture of flesh is firm or elastic
5. Shiny scales, and tightly cling, on skin
Shellfish

1. Oysters, clams, mussels in the shell must be alive and tightly closes shells when jostled.
2. Live or shucked oysters must have a very mild, sweet smell.
3. Discard any mussels that are very light in weight or seem to be hollow.
4. Strong fishy odor or a brownish color is a sign of age or spoilage.
5. Live lobsters must be alive when cooked. The meat will be firm and the tail springs back when
straightened.
6. Frozen shrimps should be solidly frozen when received.
7. Glazed shrimps should be shiny with no freezer bum.
8. All shrimps should smell fresh and sweet. A strong fishy or iodine smell indicates age or spoilage.
9. Live crabs should be kept alive until cooked.
10. Frozen crabmeat should be treated like any other frozen fish.

Handling and Storage of Fish

Fresh Fish

1. 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.

2. In refrigerated box at 300 to 340F (-10 to 10C).

3. Fresh fish maybe stored for 1 to 2 days. If kept longer, wrap and freeze immediately.
4. Check store fish for freshness just before using.

Frozen Fish

1. Frozen products should be frozen, not thawed when received.

2. Items should be well wrapped, with no freezer bum.
3. Store at 00F (-180F or colder)
4. Maximum storage time
 Fat fish-2 months
 Lean fish-6months
5. Rotate stock-first in, first out

Thawing and Handling of frozen fish

1. Thaw in refrigerator, never at room temperature. If pressed for time, keep in original moisture-
proof wrapper and thaw under cold running water.
2. 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.
3. Fillets that are to be breaded can be partially thawed.
4. Handle thawed fish as fresh fish. Do not refreeze.
5. Breaded, battered and other frozen prepared fish items are mostly cooked from frozen state.

Shellfish

1. Mussels
 Keep refrigerated (320F to 350F/ 00 to 20C), and protect from the light.
 Store in the original sack and keep it damp.
2. Oyster
 Keep live oysters in a cold, wet place in the cartons or sacks.
 Store fresh shucked oysters in original container in refrigerator at 300F to 340F (-10C to 10C).
They will keep up to 1 week.
  Keep frozen oysters in freezer at 00F (180C or colder, until ready for use).
3. Scallops
 Shucked scallops can be cooked without further preparation.
 Keep scallops covered and refrigerated (300F to 340F). Do not let them rest directly on ice or
they will lose flavour and become watery.
4. Lobsters
 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.
 Live lobsters can be keep in two ways.
 Packed in moist seaweed, kept in a cool place in saltwater.
 Cooked lobster meat must be covered and refrigerated at 300F to 340F. it is very perishable and
should be used in 1-2 days.
5. Shrimps
 Kept frozen at 00F (-180C) or lower.
 Thaw in refrigerator
 Peeled shrimps should be wrapped before placing on ice.
 Shrimps to be served cold, must be peeled after cooking to preserve flavor.
6. Crabs
 Live crabs should be kept alive until cooked.
 Frozen crabmeat is very perishable when thawed. It must be treated like any other frozen fish.

Cook Fish and Shellfish

Here, you will learn about the following:

 Principles of cooking fish and seafood dishes (dry heat and moist heat cookery)
 Variety of shellfish and fish dishes

Preparation of Fish and Shellfish

Dry-Heat Preparation

Baking

Fish to be baked should be rimed, patted dry with paper towels, and placed in a shallow pan.
Season as desired and paced in a moderate oven (3500 to 4000F/1500 to 2000C). Baking time will vary
depending on the shape and thickness of the fish, but a general rule of thumb is to bake up to 10
minutes per inch of thickness measured at the thickest diameter of the fish.

(Baking Shellfish) Shellfish are often prepared by baking, example include lobster thermidor.
Where in the lobster is split into half and baked. The meat is been extracted and mixed with a seasoned
béchamel sauce before being put back in the lobster shell and baked again until golden brown and
heated again.

Broiling

Dressed or filleted, finfish or fish steaks are best broiled at 5 inches or less below the heat
source. Lean fish should be coated with melted butter, margarine, or oil, but this step can be omitted
with most fatty fish. Season the fish as desired, and place it skin-side down on a pan that has been
greased to avoid sticking and broil it on one side until tender. Lobsters and large shrimp can also be
broiled. Whole lobsters need to be killed and split before broiling, while lobsters tails can be broiled
whole.

Grilling

Fish can be grilled on an outside grill or in the oven. Grilling is not recommended for delicate fish
such as sole, because they may stick to the grill and fall apart easily. Fatty firm fleshed fish such as
salmon, bluefish, and mackerel that have been drawn or cut into steaks are well suited for grilling. Also,
large shrimps maybe put on skewers and grilled.

Frying

Lean fish less than ¼ inch thick, shrimp, and scallops will sauté nicely in a small amount of butter
and/or oil. The fish is seasoned as desired and sautéed over medium heat until it is cooked about three
quarters of the way through, at which time it is turned gently with a spatula and heated until flesh flakes
easily. Shell fish are best sautéed on high heat for a short time. Shrimps and scallops are ideal for this
type of preparations. When done, scallops will be firm and look opaque, and shrimp will be opaque and
pink.

Moist-Heat Preparation

Poaching

Fish is delicate food suitable for poaching. The lower water temperature of 1500 to 1800F, which
keeps bubbles small and clinging to the sides of the pan, protects the delicate flesh of fish. If a whole
drawn or dressed fish is being poached, it can be wrapped in cheesecloth to hold it together. The liquid
maybe a court bouillon or a fumet.

Simmering

Simmering uses slightly higher temperature than poaching 180 0F (820C) to just under boiling
where gentle bubbles rise but basically break at surface.

Steaming

Fish can be steamed in the oven if it is tightly covered in a baking dish, aluminium foil, or
parchment paper, or in a pan on top of the range. When fish is wrapped with parchment paper along
with seasonings and aromatic vegetables. If desired and cooked in the oven, this known as cooking en
papillote. When the fish is done, the parchment envelope puffs up, turns brown and provides dramatic
presentation. Each person then be served a portion still wrapped in its own paper package, making a
novel dining experience.

Microwaving

Almost any form of fish can be microwaved. If it is commercially frozen, the defrosting
instruction on the package should be followed. In general, instructions call for arranging fish fillets or
steaks or small fish in a single layer with thicker portions toward the outside of a microwave-safe dish.
Desired seasonings and dots of butter are added before covering the plastic wrap to trap the moisture.
Poaching can also be done in the microwave oven.

Raw Fish

The Centers for Disease Control warns about the hazards of eating raw fish or shellfish. This is
particularly true for pregnant or nursing women, the very young, the elderly and anyone with a serious
illness or compromised immune system. Not only bacteria and viruses, but parasites as well may pose a
problem.

Sashimi and Ceviche

Sashimi (raw fish) used in sushi (a rice item), as well as ceviche, should be carefully checked by
trained cooks for anisakis parasiters, which are the width and color of white thread.

Cooking Techniques for Fish and Shellfish

Fishes are very delicate and are easily overcooked. During cooking, a test for doneness must be
observed.

1. The fish just separates into flakes.

2. If bone is present, the flesh separates from the bone, and the bone is no longer pink.
 3. The flesh becomes opaque (usually white)

Lean Fish

 Lean fish has almost no fat, so it easily becomes dry. It is best served with sauces to enhance
moistness and gives richness.
 Poaching is the moist heat method suited.
 Fish should be basted with butter or oil if broiled or baked.
 Lean fish maybe fried or sautéed to gain palatability from added fat.

Fat fish

 The fat in the fish enables them to tolerate more heat without becoming dry.
 Fat fish can be cooked by poaching.
 Fat fish are well suited to broiling and baking. The dry heat methods eliminate excessive oiliness.
 Large fat fish like salmon, and mackerel may be cooked in fat, but care should be taken to avoid
excessive greasiness.

Shellfish

 Cook oyster just enough to heat thoroughly to keep it juicy and plump.
 Clams become tough and rubbery if overcooked
 Shrimps like other shellfish, become tough and rubbery when cooked at high temperature

A. Scaling Whole Fish

Once your work area and fish are ready, you can begin the actual scaling process.

1. Lay your fish flat on the board or hold it steady in the water.
2. Hold the fish down firmly with your hand near its head.
3. Begin to rake the scales from the tail towards the head. They should start coming off in clumps.
4. Be sure to remove the scales on both sides of the fish, as well as scales near the fins, the collar
and the tail.
5. When you think you have gotten most of the scales, rinse the fish off again with water. This will
wash away any loose scales and help you to identify any remaining scales that need to be
removed.
B. Filleting Fish
1. First, cut behind the head while angling the knife towatd the front of the fish. There is a lot of
good flesh on the top side where the fillet extends under the bony plate of the skull and angling
the knife will ensure you don’t waste it. Cut down to the bone and follow the line through to just
behind the fins.
2. Turn the fish and run the knife just clear of the fins with a slight downward angle. When you feel
the knife is down to the bone reduce the angle and follow the bone until you come up against
the backbone.
3. Peel the fillet back and run the knife over the backbone severing the small lateral fish bones in
the process. Stop at this point.
4. Turn the fish over and repeat the procedure.
5. Repeat the second cut near the dorsal fin with the knife angled slightly down.
6. Continue this along the length of the fish
7. Reverse the direction of the filleting knife and follow the bones nt “feeling them” with the fillet
knife until the fish backbone is reached.
8. Peel the fillet back and cut around the backbone and through the small lateral bones. Run the
fillet knife right through to the skin on the underside of the fish.
 9. Cut over the belly flap either through or over the belly bones. It can be easily cut through here
with the razor sharp filleting knife.
10. Cut any remaining attached sinew or skin.
11. Removed the first fillet.
12. Flip the fish back to the original side and cut the bones around the gut cavity.
13. Release the rest of the fillet from the backbone.
C. Skinning Fish

When filleting or skinning fish keep the skinning knife clean and wet, this lubricates the blade and
gives a much cleaner cut, more control of the knife and far less drag on the sides of the blade.

1. Stop when you have an inch or two (25 to 55mm) of fillet released.
2. Change your grip on the fillet to a secure grip on the tab of fish skin you created with the first
cut.
3. Firmly hold the knife still and at a fixed angle.
4. Wriggle the skin from side to side while pulling backwards on the tab of fish skin.
5. Continue this motion through the fillet. You can see that even though the skin in the left hand is
creased under the tension it has no effect where the fillet knife is separating the fish skin from
the flesh.
6. The fillet and skin are parted and no fleshes have been wasted nor have left any skin or scales on
the fillet. I you scroll up you will note the knife has not moved over the last four fish skinning
pictures.
D. Deboning Fish
1. Gentle strokes of a knife angled towards the gut cavity will reveal the position and lay of the fine
bones. Follow this line, cutting completely through, to release the top part of the fillet.
2. The line of fine bones stops around two thirds of the way down the fillet. At this point, put the
knife on the other side of the line of bones and run the knife up the fillet until the point is well
under the bones around the gut cavity.
3. Separate the two and reinsert the knife at an angle suitable to cut the flesh from the underside
of the gut bones.
4. Keep the knife following close to the fish bones to recover as much flesh as possible.

The fillet is now deboned and the piece on the right of the picture above is discarded or washed and
put aside with the fish heads and back bones for making fish stock.

Open oysters and clams for waste minimization techniques and envronmentsl considerations in
relation to seafood.

A. Opening Oysters

Hold oyster cup side down and hinge pointed towards you.

1. Insert oyster knife at hinge slowly but firmly and push the knife between the shells. Use a slight
side to side rocking movement with your knife as you push in.
2. Work tip of knife into the oyster (about ½ inch).
3. Twist knife handle to pop oyster open.
4. Push knife into oyster and slice muscle from top shell.
5. Open top Shell. Cut muscle from bottom cup. Turn the meat over the most professional
appearance.
B. Opening Clams
1. Scrub clams under cool running water using stiff kitchen brush.
2. Over a bowl, hold the clam firmly in your hand and insert the clam knife between the top shell
and bottom shell. A towel can be used to protect your hand. Work the knife around to cut
through the hinge muscle. The bowl will catch the liquor from the clam.
 3. Open the shell. Slide the knife between the clam and the shell. Detach the clam.
4. The clam is now ready to be cooked or eaten raw.
C. Cleaning a Squid
1. Pull off the Head.
2. Remove the ink sac.
3. Cut tentacles
4. Remove beak from tentacles
5. Pull out the tail tube and cartilage.
6. Pull off the skin
7. Cut into rings.
D. Splitting a Lobster(How to Cut Lobster in Lengthwise)
1. Place the lobster on its back on a tea towel to prevent slipping.
2. Using a Heavy sharp knife, cut right through the underside of the body and tail, down the
center.
3. Turn the lobster around and continue the cut through the center of the head. Place the lobster
on its back on a tea towel to prevent slipping.
4. Using a heavy sharp knife, cut right through the underside of the body and tail, down the center.

A lobster split is not only an attractive style for presentation, but also enable easy access to the
delicious meat inside. Turn the lobster around and continue the cut through the center of the head.

Guidelines for baking Fish

1. Fat fishes are best for baking because they are less likely to dry out.
2. Lean fishes maybe baked but care should be taken not to overcook it. Basting with butter or oil
helps prevent drying.
3. Baking temperature is at 3500F to 4000F.
4. Served baked fish with sauce or seasoned butter to enhance moistness and improve palatability.

Guidelines for Broiling or Grilling Fish

1. Overcooking should be avoided in cooking fish.

2. Select appropriate fish for broiling or grilling.
3. Fat fish and lean fish should be coated with fat before broiling to reduce drying.
4. Lean fish may be dredged in flour before dipping in oil or melted butter. The flour helps form a
flavorful browned crust.
5. To prevent splitting during cooking, score the skin with sharp knife. For small fillets, scoring may
not be necessary.
6. Broil fish to order and serve immediately.
7. Broiled fish maybe garnished lightly with paprika if more color desired.
8. Thick cuts should be turned once during broiling in order to cook evenly. Thin pieces may be
arranged on an oiled pan and broiled on one side only. Lobsters are also broiled without turning.

Guidelines for Sautéing and Pan Frying Fish and Shellfish

1. Lean fish are suited to sautéing because of the fat added.

2. Fat fish can be sautéed with care as not to become greasy.
3. Breading the fish with flour or starchy products forms a crust that browns attractively,
enhances flavor, helps hold the fish and prevent sticking.
4. Use fat enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
5. Be sure the pan is hot before adding fish. Small items are sautéed over high heat, larger items
require lower heat to cook evenly.
6. Very large fish maybe browned in fat and finished in an oven, uncovered.
7. Brown the most attractive side, the presentation side.
 8. Sauté or fry to order and serve immediately.

Plate/Present Seafood Dishes

Part of serving any kind of food is presentation. You don’t have to be a trained chef to learn the
basics of plating, which is the art of presenting food in an attractive way.

Fundamentals of Plating

A. Balance-select foods and garnishes that offer variety and contrast

 color –two or three colors on a plate
 shapes -variety of shapes
 textures-variety of textures
 flavors

B. Portion size
 Match portion sizes and plates-select plates large enough to hold all the items without crowding
 Balance the portion sizes of the items on the plate-don’t let the main item get lost with the
excessive garnish
 Arrange on the plate
Guidelines to Attractive Plating
 Keep food off the rim o the plate.
 Arrange the items for the convenience of the customer.
 Keep space between items. Each item should have its own identity.
 Maintain unity. Create a center of attention and relate everything to it.
 Make everything component count.
 Add gravy or sauce attractively.
 Keep it simple.

C. Serve hot food, on hot plates

Serve cold food, on cold plates
Examples of Garnishes or Accompaniment for Plating
 Bouqetiere-bouquet of vegetables
 Jardinière-garden vegetables
 Clamart-peas
 Crecy-carrots
 Doria-cucumbers (cooked in butter)
 DuBarry-cauliflower
 Fermiere-carrots, turnips, onions and celery cut into uniform slices
 Forestiere- mushrooms
 Lyonnaise-onions
 Nicoise-tomatoes concasse cooked with garlic

Serving Baked Fish

 Serve baked fish with a sauce or seasoned butter to enhance moistness and inproves
palatability. Serving with lemon also enhances the fish.
 For service, the fish is removed from the dish, the liquid is strained, degreased, reduced and
finished by adding butter, cream or veloute sauce.

Serving Broiled Lobster

Serve immediately with melted butter or appropriate sauce and garnish.

Serving Sautéed and Pan Fried

 Remove the fish with spatula and place on serving plate with presentation side up.
 Sprinkle fish with lemon juice and chopped parsley.
 Heat raw butter in the sauté pan until it turns light brown. Pour over fish immediately and serve
at once.

Serving Poached or Simmered Fish in Court bouillon

Served poached fish with appropriate sauce, such as hollandaise for hot fish and a mayonnaise-based
sauce for cold fish. Mild vinaigrette go well with both hot and cold poached fish.

Serving Poached Fish in Fumet and Wine

 Reduce the cuision over high heat to about ¼ of its volume.

 Add fish veloute and heavy cream and bring to boil.
 Adjust seasoning with salt, white pepper and lemon juice.
 Strain the sauce.
 Arrange the fish on plates for service, coat with sauce and serve immediately.

Glazing

Poaching fish is sometimes glazed before serving

1. Combine the finished sauce with egg yolk, Hollandaise sauce or lightly whipped cream.
2. Coat the fish with the sauce and run the plate under a broiler until the sauce is golden brown.

III. Assessment

Learning Activity No. 9

1. Which seafood have you tried eating?

2. List down the nutritional contents we can get from seafood.

IV. Reference:

Brown, A. Understanding Food Principles and Preparation. Thomson Asian Edition