Session 2Shell Fish

Identification and Fabrication

Today’s AgendaQuiz Review –

Shell Fish -

Four distinct categories based on their skeletal structure1. Univalves2. Bivalves3. Crustaceans

a) Lobsterb) Crabc) Shrimp and Prawns

4. Cephalopods5. Additional Items6. Storage

Lab Overview

What is a Mollusk?

Mollusks have a soft, un-segmented body and no internal skeleton which may be

completely or partially enclosed in a shell.

univalves bivalves cephalopods

Mollusk• Purchasing

• Storage

• Cookery Fundamentals• Indicators of Quality

Univalvessingle shelled mollusks

Abalone – one shell and a suction cup

Snails – imported from France

Conch- from the Caribbean, gastropodA class of large mollusk.

Bivalves

Clams, hard shell clam or quahog, littleneck are small hard shell. Cherrystones and 3” or more in diameter are quahogs

Scallops: 3 species Bay, Sea or Calico often sold shucked

Mostly farm-raised sold live in the shell

Oysters sold live or shucked- marketed by the name which the bed they were harvested

Cephalopods

Octopus firm texture sweet marine flavor

Squid available range of sizesSmaller are stuffed and cooked wholeLarger are cut into rings and fried

Have no exterior shell instead they have one single internal shell called a pen or cuttlebone which is made out of calcium.

What is a Crustacean?Have a hard outer shell and jointed

appendages and breathe through gills.New England Main lobster.

sspiny lobster or rock lobster often sold frozen tails.

Lobster

Female

Male

CrabVarieties of crab can be purchased common varieties Dungeness, King crab soft shell, blue. In the summer when the crab molts blue crabs are sold as soft shellPurchased by fresh, frozen, live, can,claw, lump….

Shrimp and Prawns

One of the most popular crustaceans.

Most commonly available frozen, generally fabricated and flash frozen right on the shrimp boat.

Shrimp are sold according to the number in a pound,

Crustacean Purchasing Storage

Cookery FundamentalsIndicators of Quality

Additional Items

Caviar – salted roe traditionally sturgeon. Briny delicate flavor.

Sea Urchin delicate, texture moderate, flavor – can beaten from the shell as is-smooth buttery

texture and sweet taste.

Krab, need we say more. Everywhere else in the world it’s called Surimi.

Harvesting Shell fish Pot Fishing

Pots or traps, are fished on the bottom from single lines and buoys, with one pot per line, or from long lines, with several pots to a string and buoys marking either end of the “set.” Lobsters and most crab species are captured by the former method (single pots). A wire lobster pot may weigh less than 10 pounds, while a king crab trap can weigh 500 pounds. Pot fishing is highly selective, and the product is landed alive for maximum quality.

DredgingThis method used for capturing shellfish, primarily scallops,

clams, oysters and mussels. A dredge is essentially a metal “rake” that’s drug across the ocean bottom, scraping up shellfish in its path. The shellfish are collected and held in a chain-mesh bag. Dredges vary from hand-operated to much larger, hydraulically operated versions like those used for harvesting sea scallops and surf clams.

Lab Overview• Live Lobster Fabrication• Cooked Lobster Fabrication• P&D Shrimp • Debeard Mussels, Steam, ½

shell, vacuum seal• Shuck Oysters• Squid clean, bread and vs• Handle and Store Properly

• Shucking a Lobster