shellfish

Seeking out the highest-quality ingredients one can afford is always important, but never more so than when it comes to crustacean cookery. Here are some of our best practices for getting your money's worth.

First and foremost, look for a shop with high turnover of these critters. This applies whether you're looking to buy live crab and lobster, precooked lobster tails, crab claws, or even lump crab meat. While seeking out the freshest precooked meat may seem obvious, even creatures sold live are highly perishable; once they're plucked from the sea, they'll stop eating, and a starved crustacean will have less meat on its shell.

What to Keep in Mind When Buying Live Crab or Lobster

• Buy these in season, and from local waters. A cross-country journey means more time has lapsed from catch to plate, and the critter is likely less robust and less meaty. Plus, purchases made at the source will cost less than those coming from thousands of miles away.
• Look for active, wriggly live crab and lobster, taking care to avoid any that appear lethargic. They should feel heavy for their size when handled; this indicates a juicy, meaty find, rather than one that is nearly all shell.
• Avoid any seafood coming from a less-than-spotless tank.
• Make sure to either kill them in the cooking process or cook them immediately after dispatch. Even the lapse of one hour between killing and cooking can effect the quality of the meat, leaving you with a pile of mushy meat.

Keep reading for more guidelines for purchasing crab and lobster.

Shrimp's briny-sweet flavor, satisfyingly snappy texture, and ease of preparation (few foods cook up faster) make it a perennial favorite. Whether the crustacean's final destination is an easy appetizer or expedited étouffée, keep these crucial guidelines in mind the next time you hit the seafood counter.

What to Know About Shrimp

• Avoid purchasing shrimp from Southeast Asia, as the regulations on shrimp farming and harvesting are far less stringent than American standards. Look for sustainably farmed US shrimp or those that are wild caught using traps in Canada or the US. For an in-depth look at the sustainability of different shrimp options, consult the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch guide.
• Like all seafood, shrimp should smell of the ocean — briny and sweet, like seaweed — and not off-putting or "fishy" in any way. Particularly avoid any that smell of ammonia.
• Eschew labels such as "jumbo" and "large," as these are often inconsistent. Instead, refer to the count number: this is presented as two numbers that indicate the range of how many shrimp of this size will make up one pound. For example: 16/20 indicates that there are 16 to 20 shrimp in one pound. Keep in mind that the smaller the count number is, the larger the shrimp will be (16/20s are among the largest).

Keep reading for three more tips

If you think oyster, mussel, clam, and scallop cookery seem best left to the experts, then think again. In reality, much of the onus of prep work comes down to choosing exceptionally fresh shellfish — after that, the effort to reward ratio is high. With that in mind, we've rounded up crucial guidelines for shopping for shellfish, starting with one of our favorite categories of mollusks, the humble bivalve.

Generally speaking, bivalves should be purchased alive, since these creatures decompose exceptionally quickly once dead, even when properly stored on ice and refrigerated. Most of the qualities listed below indicate whether or not the animal inside the shell is still living.

Things to Bear in Mind When Buying Clams, Oysters, or Mussels

• In their raw state, these bivalves should feel heavy for their size.
• Like all seafood, these should smell of the ocean — briny and sweet, like seaweed — and not off-putting or "fishy" in any way.
• If shellfish are prepackaged in mesh bags, ask to open up the bag to get a better look, as it's tougher to tell the condition of the shells when bagged.
• Shells should be tightly closed, with no chips or cracks present. An open shell indicates that the creature is already dead (and will have begun to decompose). Once ready to prep or eat raw, sharply tap any that are slightly ajar; if alive, shells should close — and if any don't, make sure to discard. Likewise, once cooked, the shells should open up slightly — this indicates that the shellfish was alive when cooked — any that stay closed should be discarded.

Keep reading for guidelines for purchasing scallops.