YumSugar

Cozy Up to New Orleans Baked Oysters

Nancy Einhart — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:25:43 PST

I'll never turn down a raw oyster, but when it comes to wooing someone with a cozy, baked version of the supposed aphrodisiac, this creole recipe is absolutely seductive. These oysters often get me invited back to parties (as long as I bring the oysters) and succeed in winning over oyster haters.

Shuck your own oysters and serve them on the half shell, or buy a couple pints preshucked and bake them in ramekins or a casserole dish. Once the shucking is out of the way, this dish is incredibly easy, somewhat sultry, and just a little bit rich. Try it as a side dish or even as a main course. Here's how to bake up some oysters.

How to Choose the Perfect Live Crab

Susannah Chen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:50:13 PST

We're officially in the throes of West Coast Dungeness crab season, and there's no better way to celebrate than by purchasing a live or fresh-cooked crab, while the crustaceans are local and affordably-priced. But how do you know which live member to pick out from the crowd?

Mike La Rocca, who helms A. La Rocca Sea Food, a wholesaler that supplies fresh Dungeness to seafood restaurants like Bistro Boudin and supermarkets like Mollie Stone's, offers one critical piece of advice: look for a critter that's heavy. "The best way to judge if you're getting a nice, fresh crab is if it's got some weight when it's sitting in your hand. You should feel that pound and a half in your hands - then you know you're getting a crab that's full of meat and juice. If it's been sitting in a counter for a few days, it's going to lose its juice."

Also, the obvious: live crabs should be, well, alive. "If the crabs are alive, they need to be moving," La Rocca insists. For those of you comfortable cooking live seafood, how do you choose and prepare crab?

'Tis the Season! A Primer on Dungeness Crabs

Susannah Chen — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:30:36 PST

On the West Coast, the holidays aren't all about parties, roasts, and cookies; they're also about fresh, abundant Dungeness crabs, which are in peak supply during this time of year. But everything about the crustacean, from understanding the season to selecting the right live one, can be tricky.

To get a better handle - er, claw - on all things Dungeness, I turned to two seafood experts: Wholesale distributor Mike La Rocca of La Rocca Sea Food and Misael Reyes, executive chef at the sea-centric Bistro Boudin in San Francisco. A few crucial points I learned from the pros, when you read more.

5 Fast and Easy Seafood Meals to Make This Week

Nancy Einhart — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:10:00 PST

Looking for a fast and easy weeknight dinner - or perhaps five? Easy doesn't have to mean dull, so try one of these five simple and simply delicious seafood dishes perfect any night of the week.

Know Your Ingredients: Old Bay Seasoning

YumSugar — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:20:16 PDT

If you love shore food like I do, then chances are, you're familiar with Old Bay seasoning. But what exactly is it, and how did it attain the cult status that it has today?

Old Bay Seasoning is a proprietary spice mix that's become a seafood staple. The blend, which was named after the Chesapeake Bay, was first created in the 1940s by a Baltimore spice merchant, and soon became a popular accoutrement among East Coasters for steamed, hard shell crabs. In the 1990s, spice company McCormick purchased the brand, preserving its distinctive yellow box and logo, but bringing Old Bay to supermarket spice aisles across America.

The recipe of the mix is a closely-guarded secret, but there have been many attempts to recreate the exact blend of cinnamon, ginger, mustard, bay leaves, celery seed, laurel, and black and red pepper. Old Bay is often used in fish and shellfish dishes, corn on the cob, and French fries - although modern-day recipes call for the seasoning in everything from eggs to stir-fries. How do you use Old Bay?

4 Reasons You Should Give Anchovies a Chance

Katie Sweeney — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 04:09:34 PDT

After learning everything there is to know about anchovies, I was still left wondering one thing: why don't more people like them? Sure, they have a strong scent and distinctive flavor, but anchovies are no different from any other fish and you shouldn't be afraid of eating or cooking with them! If you dislike anchovies, I'm recommending that you give them a second chance. Here are four reasons why you should start to eat anchovies:

They're healthy. Anchovies are full of fatty acids that can help lower cholesterol and reduce heart disease. They're also a good source of protein, calcium, and vitamins E and D.
They're sustainable. Although anchovies have been overfished in the past, they are currently a better choice when it comes to seafood that is sustainable.
They add lots of flavor. Anchovies add a salty, nutty, umami-like quality to everything from pasta to pizza. When cooked down into a sauce or other dish, anchovies have an incredibly mild but rich flavor.
You've had them before, you just didn't know it! Chances are, you've eaten anchovies on more than one occasion and you didn't realize you were eating them. Anchovies are a comment ingredient in Worcestershire sauce and other prepared fish sauces. They are also found in many Caesar salad dressings as well as tapenade and green goddess dressing.

Ready to experiment with anchovies? Use them in this fast and easy pasta dish!

Source: Flickr User stu_spivack

Get to Know Gefilte Fish

Susannah Chen — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:15:00 PDT

Despite my love of Jewish food, I must confess I've never held a deep understanding of gefilte fish. Growing up, I'd stare at jars of those cloudy, floating Manischewitz members with a mixture of intrigue and disgust. What, exactly, was gefilte fish? I wondered. Did people actually eat that?

Now that I have the palate of an adult, I'm no longer disgusted, but as someone who's never tried gefilte fish, I remain intrigued. Gefilte is actually Yiddish for "stuffed," and this dish is really just white fish that's been chopped, seasoned with carrots, onions, and eggs, stuffed back into the skin of a fish, poached, then served chilled. Find out the story behind its creation when you read more.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Fish With Peach Salsa

Susannah Chen — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:21:03 PDT

As much as I love Fall produce, it doesn't always get the warm welcome from me that it deserves - probably because I'm always loath to let go of Summer's fruits and vegetables and the warm weather that they signify. So while pumpkins and peppers are slowly starting to pop up at markets, I can't help but still buy sweet corn and stone fruits, while I still can and before they're gone for another year entirely.

This week was all about peaches - floral, fuzzy yellow ones that I could smell from a mile away. I bought a huge load of ripe peaches, ate most of them out of hand, and saved a few to make peach salsa, one of my favorite toppings for any protein (seared tuna, swordfish, chicken, pork tenderloin, you name it). Right now, I'm loving it with flaky, meaty rockfish fillets. Check out the recipe after the break.

Don't Put Your Grill Away Until You've Made These Clams

Katie Sweeney — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:42:34 PDT

Quick, hurry now: before grilling season is over, you must make these scrumptious grilled clams! I've enjoyed them several times in the past few months, but kept forgetting to snap a photo. Luckily, I finally remembered, because with these clams, you're in for a real treat. Even a self-proclaimed clam-hater (my mother) expressed her genuine love for these breadcrumb-filled, finger-licking good, garlicky clams. If you want to serve them to a crowd, I recommend combining the breadcrumb stuffing ingredients ahead of time, then after you've put the clams on the grill, toss the opened ones with the mixture and serve piping hot. What are you waiting for?! Get the recipe now.

Fast & Easy Seafood Dinner: Spicy Scallops With Capellini

Susannah Chen — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:01:20 PDT

As much as I love chili and a simple meatloaf, they often become an all-too-regular part of my weeknight meal rotation. The best cure for a rut, I've discovered, is to stray for a moment from the usual suspects (chicken, beef, tofu) and opt for something less habitual.

The last time I did this, I sat down to a light but piquant plate of briny scallops tossed together with angel hair pasta and a chipotle-and-garlic-inflected Chilean pil-pil sauce.

To keep the dinner from being price-prohibitive, I subbed bay scallops instead of sea scallops, but the latter would be a nice splurge. The whole dish is extremely quick-cooking; prepare to sit down within the half hour! For the recipe, read ahead.