"SEAFOOD" "RECIPES"

This is my (second) most Favorite Page next to "Antique Tractor's", that's why i am alway's on a Diet, it's very hard to keep my 300lb. figure with all these great Recipe's

Fifty percent of all blue crabs harvested in the United States come from the Chesapeake Bay. Blue crabs are found throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers in almost freshwater to very salty water. Crabs grow by molting. When a crab molts it sheds its old shell, thereby increasing its size by about one third. Underneath the old shell is a new larger, soft shell that absorbs water and hardens after the old one is shed. A crab molts as many as 27 times during its lifetime. A very important seafood resource, crabs play an important role in the food web of the Bay, both as prey and predator.Your best bet is to purchase live crabs whenever possible. Crabs should be alert and brandish their pinchers when poked. Soft-shell crabs should be translucent and completely soft. Crabs should have a fresh, salt water aroma; avoid those that smell sour or extremely fishy. Let your nose be your guide. Deal with a reputable seafood provider. Thawed, cooked crab should also be odor-free, and thawed only on the day of sale. Do not purchase or consume whole, uncooked, dead crabs. It takes 10 to 15 hard-shelled crabs to yield one and a half pounds of meat. Count on six steamed crabs per person and two soft-shell crabs per person.Crab or crabmeat is available year-round in some form, including live, raw, frozen, cooked, and canned. Live crabs should be refrigerated and used on the day of purchase. Raw crabmeat should also be kept refrigerated and used within 24 hours. Thawed, cooked crab should be used within the same day of purchase. Vacuum-packed crab can be stored in the refrigerator up to a month and used within four days of opening. Canned crab is good for six months. To freeze crabmeat, cook the crabs and remove the meat. Pack into airtight containers and cover with a light brine (4 teaspoons of salt to 1 quart of water), leaving 1/2-inch headspace in the container. Frozen crab can be stored up to four months at 0 degrees F.

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Opening oysters takes a little experience. If you don't have an oyster knife, use one with a strong stainless steel blade. Knives not made specifically for the job may break, and metals other than stainless steel might leave the taste of metal on the oyster. Wear a heavy glove to protect your hand from cuts. After scrubbing under cold running water, hold the oyster firmly with one hand, rounded side down so less liquid is lost when opened. Insert the blade of the knife between the shells, near the hinge. Twist the blade to open the shells, then cut the muscle joining the shells together. Slip the blade underneath the oyster to detach it from the shell. Remove any pieces of shell stuck on the oyster. Steaming them for a few seconds or heating them in a medium oven for about 30 seconds might make them a little easier to open (the heat softens the adductor muscle). Never soak oysters in water, because they can die if they open and their liquid drains out.

Your senses are your best tool for choosing fresh fish. First choose a likely specimen, and look at it closely. It should look as if it is about to swim away. The skin should be bright and shiny with close fitting scales. A layer of transparent mucus allows the fish to glide through the water when alive, and makes the fish gleam on the shelf. Dry, dull flesh is a sign of age, as are loose scales. The eyes should be clear and bulging; if the fish has sunken or cloudy eyes look for a fresher specimen. Gills should be reddish and damp, not sticky. It may not be possible to poke and prod the fish before purchase, but the feel of the flesh is also an important indication of freshness. The flesh should be firm and elastic: when you press it, the flesh should bounce back, leaving no indentation. Smell, as previously noted, is one of the most important indications of freshness. It is also the most easily noticed factor. The strong odor of rotting fish is one of the most pungent and hardest to dispel. It permeates everything. You do not want this smell in your home, and you definitely do not want to eat something with that odor. Again, fish should have a pleasant smell.

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