Here
are a few interesting seafood facts:
Find out why you should eat seafood! Check our Practical Guide to
Seafood Preparation to get you started. Learn what cooking methods
work best with your seafood selection.
Video - Open Oysters
Like a Pro! -
Courtesy of Saveur Magazine and Le Cordon
Bleu
Video - How To for Clambakes
Why Eat Seafood?
Are you on a low cholesterol diet? We can help! There
are a few things you need to know before you give up all of your
favorite foods for the sake of your heart. Giving up all foods that
contain cholesterol may not be necessary if your blood cholesterol
levels are mildly elevated. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about
how strict you need to be.
All foods from animal products contain cholesterol, but that is not
the reason that they are restricted on a cholesterol lowering diet.
They are restricted because they are high in saturated fat. There
are two other kinds of fats found in food that can actually help to
lower cholesterol levels when eaten instead of saturated fat. Eating
more fish which is high in polyunsaturated fats including omega-3
fatty acids, and making smart choices about cooking oils and low fat
dairy products are two easy ways to improve your cholesterol level
without restricting your diet so severely that meal times are not
enjoyable.
Lets face it - a diet will only work if you can make it work in your
every day life. If your dinner meal is red meat three or more times
a week, try eating fish just twice a week instead of beef and you
should see the result in a lower cholesterol level.
Think you'll miss the hearty flavor of beef? Try grilling a
swordfish or tuna steak! The eating qualities of these delicacies
are "meatier" than chicken and have a texture similar to a juicy
pork chop. Your meat lover will not be disappointed!
EFC Kitchen Guide to Seafood
Preparation
Cooking Methods
Bake:
All types of fish, lean and oily:
fillets, steaks, roasts, and whole dressed fish. If wrapped in foil,
shellfish can also be baked.
Broil:
Fish fillets at least 1" thick. Higher fat fish like salmon or sea
bass work best because they retain their moisture better, but just
about any finfish or shellfish can be broiled successfully.
Shellfish options include shrimp, shucked scallops, oysters, clams,
and mussels.
Fry:
Lean fish - fillets, portions, strips, nuggets, or whole dressed
fish, shrimp, scallops, clams or squid rings.
Grill:
Oily fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon. Use steaks and fillets at
least ½" thick, or whole dressed fish. Skin-on fillets work nicely,
as they hold together well. Grill large, shell-on or shucked
shellfish on skewers.
Poach:
Lean fish - fillets, steaks or whole - benefit from this moist
cooking method. Avoid poaching oily, dark-meat fish like mackerel or
tuna. Salmon is the exception here.
Sauté:
Small whole fish like trout, thin skinless fillets like flounder,
and steaks. Shrimp, soft shell crabs, shucked scallops, squid. Oily
fish like mackerel or salmon don't lend themselves to this
technique.
Steam:
All lean fish - fillets, steaks, small whole fish and all shellfish.
Oily fish do not benefit from steaming.
