Monday, June 6, 2016

Best Practices On How To Utilize Seafood In Your Kitchen

By Betty Sanders


When you are tired of always eating a rotating menu of pork, chicken, or beef in your menu, then it may be high time to switch things up a bit. A good way to break the monotony in your daily diet is by introducing more seafood. Healthy and nutritious, the water based proteins are just as delicious as their land based counterparts, and here are some of the things you must know before cooking them.

First things first is to determine where you can get the best ingredients to cook some fabulous seafood based dishes. Sourcing out these items from quality providers ensures that you are only receiving the freshest product possible, like getting lobster meat shipped right to your door. Use the internet to discover such places, or ask people you know and trust for their referrals.

Learning about the different kinds of aquatic vertebrates is important to expand your knowledge about this truly versatile food. On one hand, we have what most culinary professionals dub as lean fish given that they contain very little to no oils or fats. A lot of health conscious eaters prefer to eat this particular variety, among which include the likes of snapper, halibut, and cod.

Conversely, there are also many aquatic species considered as oily which is pretty much self explanatory. Although do not be fooled by the distinction, as the kind of fat such varieties contain are of the healthy kind. Flavorful and packed with lots of vitamins and minerals, some awesome examples of fatty fish you can incorporate into your meals include eel, butterfish, carp, and shad.

Because there are two major designations of aquatic vertebrates, the preparation styles for both varieties also differ. For example, lean ones require considerable seasoning and basting as fatty versions tend to have a much stronger natural flavor and does not dry out quickly. However, leaner types are much firmer in texture, so they hold up well for recipes that call for soups or chowders.

Preparing seafood for cooking is not as easy as doing poultry or red meats because they contain minuscule bones that are hard to remove by untrained hands. To make things much easier on your end, simply request the fishmonger in the market to butcher your selections before taking them home. This way, all you need to do is to clean, season, and cook them straight away.

The thing with handling fish is that they can be so easy to overcook that you must always keep a close eye on them to avoid this from happening. Overcooking can result in a dish that is dry and tough, which is not desirable at all. A general rule of thumb to follow is to cook fish on either side for no more than ten minutes to retain their flavor and juiciness.

You most definitely have no reasons to waste perfectly good seafood leftovers when you can use them in a wide variety of ways. From adding them in starters like soups or salads to utilizing them for things like sandwiches or pasta dishes, you are totally spoiled for choice. Remember, always apply a creative touch when dealing with fish that has been previously cooked.

Keeping a healthy lifestyle ultimately means making good dietary choices that reflect a sense of balance. And when you adhere to the advice listed above, your goals will surely be met with success. Above all, enjoy the process and let your palate be your trusted guide in this journey.




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