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Get your oyster knives ready! Oyster season opens October 15, 2011. For more information regarding oyster regulations and harvesting visit the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Below are methods on how to open oysters.

Opening Oysters

Oyster shells are especially sharp. Be sure to wear gloves.

Method 1

Chip off thin lip of oyster until there is a small opening.

Insert oyster knife and cut muscle from top and bottom shells. Twist knife and pop oyster open.

Method 2

Work oyster knife into front of oyster, opposite the hinge.

Insert knife and cut muscle from top and bottom shell. Twist knife and pop oyster open.

Method 3

Insert oyster knife at hinge and twist to pop open.

Insert knife at front and cut muscle from top and bottom shell.

Serving

In all three methods, the oyster is ready to cook or serve on the half-shell.

From: Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas

Contributed by Joyce Taylor

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Be sure that the seafood you buy is fresh. It’s a good idea to go to the market to buy fresh seafood, not just a particular species. If your recipe calls for flounder, but the snapper is fresher, buy the snapper.

Market Forms of Fresh Fish

Whole or round fish are sold just as they come from the water. They must be scaled and eviscerated — or gutted — before cooking. If the head is left on, the fish must be degilled. The edible yield is about 45 percent.

Drawn fish have been eviscerated. They must be scaled and, if the head is left on, must be degilled. The edible portion is about 48 percent.

Dressed fish are ready to cook , usually with head, tail and fins removed. The edible portion is about 67 percent.

Fillets are the sides of the fish cut away from the backbone and are ready to cook. They are usually boneless, with no waste.

Steaks are ready-to-cook, cross-sectional slices of large fish. The edible yield is about 86 percent.

Dressing a Round Fish

Place fish on a flat surface. With a fish scaler or dull side of a knife, scrape off scales, moving from head to tail.

Remove the head and pectoral fins by cutting through the fish at a 45-degree angle just behind the head.

Cut the entire length of the belly from head to tail.

Remove viscera and all black membranes and blood, particularly the blood streak running along the backbone. Cut around pelvic fins and remove them. Rinse fish well — with attention to cavity — under cold, running water.

Filleting a Round-Bodied Fish

Scale the fish. At the pectoral fin, just behind the head, cut into flesh at a 45-degree angle toward the head until your knife reaches the backbone.

Turn the knife and follow backbone to the tail, keeping the knife against the backbone. Or, if you prefer, reverse this and cut from the tail to the head. Turn fish over and repeat on the other side.

Rinse the fillet well under cold, running water.

Filleting a Flat-Bodied Fish

Scale the fish. Cut down to the backbone at a 45-degree angle just behind the head.

Make a cut from nape to tail along each side of the backbone. Slide knife along the backbone to loosen the fillet. Turn fish over and repeat on the other side.

You may leave fish as two fillets or cut each in half lengthwise to make four fillets. Rinse well under cold, running water.

Skinning a Fillet

With skin side down, hold tail of fillet. Slide knife between skin and flesh. With the blade almost horizontal, pull the skin taut as you draw the blade toward the large end of the fillet.

From: Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas

Contributed by Joyce Taylor

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Removing shrimp head – Hold a shrimp in one hand. With your thumb behind its head, push the head off. Be sure to push just the head so that you do not lose any meat.

Removing shell and deveining, Method 1 - If using deveiner, insert it at the head end just above the vein.

Push through to the tail and remove the shell. This removes the vein at the same time. Rinse shrimp well under cold running water.

Removing shell and deveining, Method 2 - If you prefer to use a paring knife,
shell shrimp with your fingers or knife. To remove the vein, use the knife. rinse well under cold, running water.

Adapted from Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas

Contributed by Joyce Taylor

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Oysters harvested in southeastern waters are known as the American oyster (Crassostrea viginica). This oyster is a bivalve mollusk, most often found in tidal waters of bays and estuaries.

Most southeastern oysters are taken by hand rakes or tongs. The most productive season is fall through the winter. Oyster flavor, color and texture will vary by location and season.

Whether shucked or in-the-shell, oysters are highly perishable and should be eaten and or cooked as soon as possible.

Harvest must be from waters “approved” by state shellfish authorities who routinely test the oysters and water relative to bacterial content and other contaminants. In some instances, oysters may be relayed or moved from non-approved waters to approved waters for a specified period of time prior to final harvest.

Processing must be conducted by a certified dealer in compliance with all state and federal food safety regulations. Fresh and frozen oysters are available in various forms, both in-shell and shucked.

The oyster should appear cream to beige in color, packed in somewhat transparent liquor. The preferred flavor is a mild oyster with a slight salty taste. An excessive opaque or cooked appearance may denote temperature abuse.

For more information on local oysters, visit the NC Division of Marine Fisheries.

Contributed by David Green

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How can you judge whether the retailer you buy seafood from is reputable?  In part, you can assess your retailer’s commitment to wholesome product by knowing the characteristics that reflect high-quality seafood.

When purchasing raw shrimp, you should look for translucent shells with grayish-green or tan coloration.  Shrimp should have a moist appearance, firm flesh and a mild scent.  Blackened edges or spots on the shell, mushy texture and a strong sour or “fishy” order are clear signs shrimp have excessive age or have been mishandled.

Shucked oysters should have a plump, cream-colored appearance.  They should be free of shell bits and sand and have a mild scent.  The oyster liquor should be clear or slightly opaque.  Avoid oysters that appear shriveled, dark or dry, have a strong “fishy” odor and are contained in cloudy liquid.

Crabmeat should be white with slight red or brown pigments and should have a mild scent.  Avoid product that appears dry or has a strong sour odor.

The flesh of raw fillets should be firm, even elastic when touched.  It should have a translucent color, moist appearance and mild scent.  Fillets that have a mushy texture, appear bruised, have a milky color, dry or brown edges and strong “fishy” order should be avoided.

For more information on the quality characteristics of fresh, coast seafood, click the “Assessing Seafood Quality” link to the right of this page.

Contributed by Barry Nash

Some years ago, former Seafood Lab director Ted Miller developed a lemon-gelatin glazing process that we still recommend to protect fish like salmon from oxidation and freezer burn.

The process is simple. Just measure ¼ cup of bottled lemon juice into a pint container and fill the rest of the container with water. Dissolve one packet of unflavored gelatin in ½ cup of this mixture.

Heat the remaining liquid to boiling, and then stir the dissolved gelatin mixture into the boiling liquid. Cool to room temperature.

Dip the fillet or steak in the liquid. Lift it out and allow to drain for a few seconds.

Wrap the fish tightly in a heavy, protective plastic film. We recommend Saran Warp or similar heavy film. Freeze as quickly as possible.

Fish frozen with a gelatin glaze will remain fresh longer than those with no glaze.

From: Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas

Contributed by David Green

Different fish have different flavors. But you can almost always substitute in most recipes. Just exchange one type for a similar one.  

For example, substitute one lean fish for another, a fatter fish for another with about the same fat content. Most of our palates are not so discriminating that we will notice a big difference.

Lean fish are white or light in color and have a mild flavor. Higher fat fish have a more pronounced flavor and are darker in color. You can substitute among the species in each category. Some examples:

White or light color, delicate flavor: Atlantic cod, Alaska Pollock, brook trout, catfish, cod, flounder, grouper, halibut, rainbow trout, tilefish, white sea bass

White or light color, light to moderate flavor: Atlantic salmon, butterfish, croaker, drum, mahi-mahi, mullet, pompano, porgy, red snapper, sheepshead, spot, spotted seatrout, striped bass, swordfish, whiting

Light, more pronounced flavor: king mackerel, Spanish mackerel

Darker meat, light to moderate flavor: black sea bass, bluefish, salmon, tuna

Remember that the most essential element in the flavor of fish is freshness. If it isn’t fresh, the flavor is distorted.

In addition to flavor differences, fish also vary in texture. Fish such as flounder and butterfish have a delicate texture—the meat separates easily and flakes into small pieces. Species such as mullet and trout are moderate in texture and do not flake as easily. Fish such as grouper and catfish have a firmer, meatier texture.

Texture doesn’t affect the selection of fish as much as taste does. But you may choose a particular type if you want to use a certain cooking method. If you want fish to cook directly on your grill, you might choose a firm fish such as tuna or salmon rather than flounder or butterfish which would come apart during grilling.

Keep in mind that overcooking changes the texture of fish. Any species will be tough, dry and chewy if you cook it too long.

From: Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas.

Contributed by Joyce Taylor

HOW TO SELECT, HANDLE, CLEAN AND STORE SEAFOOD

Catfish products are sold by processors to institutional and retail markets. The majority of catfish products are packaged and delivered fresh (ice packed), individually quick frozen (IQF) or chill packed.

The traditional product form of processed catfish is the whole dressed fish. This is a catfish that has been headed, gutted and skinned (HGS). However, a growing percentage of sales are generated when the dressed fish is further processed into a variety of cuts or forms, including:

• regular fillets
• shank fillets (regular fillet with the belly flap or nugget removed)
• fillet strips
• nuggets (belly flaps and other fillet trim)
• steaks

During the latter part of the 1980s, specialty products made their way into the marketplace. Whole dressed catfish and fillets, coated or marinated with flavors and spices such as lemon-butter, Cajun and mesquite, can be found in the seafood section of grocery stores.

For more information, go to Carolina Classics Catfish or the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center.

Contributed by David Green

How to Select, Handle, Clean & Store Seafood

After a successful fishing trip at the coast, you can keep your catch fresh until you get home with this simple technique. First scale, head and eviscerate your fish or fillet them so they are ready to use or freeze when you arrive at home.

Next pack dressed fish or fillets in ice or even better, superchill the catch. To do this you need an insulated cooler with a drain. Before packing the fish, make a salt-ice mixture in a separate container, using about one-half pound of salt for every five pounds of ice.

Line the cooler with 3 to 4 inches of flaked or crushed ice. Layer the fish in the cooler, covering each layer with the salt-ice mixture. Eviscerated fish should be unwrapped and the body cavities filled with ice. Dressed fish or fillets should be wrapped in heavy, clear plastic film.

When the cooler is filled, top the contents with a generous layer of ice and tightly close the lid. Also close the drain plug. Place the cooler in a cool, shady area of your car. Check your fish and ice at the end of each day. Drain off the melted ice at night and add more ice.

After you have tried superchilling, you will be able to do it without mixing the ice and salt. Adding salt to ice lowers the holding temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and extends the fresh quality of fish for several days.

From: Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas.

Contributed by David Green

Fresh shrimp are often placed in zip lock bags or packed in plastic containers for home freezing and storage.

When selecting your packaging, be sure it is strong enough to prevent shrimp spines from puncturing the film and is resistant to water vapor and oxygen transfer. This will help to prevent dehydration and oxidation in the freezer.

Oftentimes, coastal residents will freeze shrimp immersed in water to protect them from freezer burn. At other times, shrimp are individually quick frozen (IQF) by dipping in cold water after partial freezing to coat them with a thin layer of ice before frozen storage.

Still another technique is packing fresh shrimp in vacuum-sealed bags before freezing. This method is sufficient to protect the unglazed shrimp during frozen storage at -20^oF. The method works best for fresh shrimp that are peeled and deveined to remove the sharp spines.

Remember to inspect your frozen shrimp periodically and re-glaze or re-pack as required.

Contributed by David Green