Saturday, September 6, 2008

Vary Your Seafood For The Spice Of Life

By Shannon Linnen


The Japanese have less heart attacks and cholesterol problems than many other nationalities. The Bengalis in India stay lean and healthy and they share a common feature with many other people staying near the sea. They love seafood and call them 'flowers of the sea'. Indeed, the oceans present us with a variety of delicacies that are also healthy. Just like the flowers, many fish and crustaceans are seasonal while some are perennial.

Seafood varieties ranges from fish like tuna, salmon and sardine to the slightly unusual like the blackened catfish cooked with pineapple or vegetable and herbs. Refrigerated and fast supply chain ensures that supermarkets and online vendors are able to provide fresh fish and any of the seafood variety. Only concern for consumers is the level of mercury and other toxins found in fish. Therefore, fresh fish are to be purchased only from trusted sellers.

Differences in fish species ensures that you can enjoy sauteed tilapia, pan-grilled wild salmon or bass and grilled grouper. Delicious, tasty, healthy, good for the heart and gourmet food are some of the words and phrases used to describe the delicacies and there's a reason.

Oysters, clams, crabs, lobsters, shrimps and scallops are only a small part of the seafood variety from which you can chose. Seared scallops, grilled shrimps or steam mussels will cause your mouth to water. With a doubt, however, the experience of eating Alaskan king crab legs beats it all. It is very simple to prepare; the leg meat can be purchased cooked and frozen. In order to experience it all you have to do is to thaw, rinse and steam heat the meat. Boiling and baking are also common methods of preparation.

King crabs come in red, golden and blue varieties, with red tasting the sweetest and blue yielding more meat. Golden is usually smaller than the other two. Relish the meat of alaskan king crab legs by dipping it in a bowl of hot melted butter, interspersed with sips of white wine to complete the delight. Then relax with contentment for such a delightful meal. But do try to wipe off that satisfied grin from your face.

Many people mistakenly believe stuffed quahogs are exotic dish. Quahogs are nothing but a type of clams with round shell. Various vegetables, herbs, sauces and even crabmeat can be stuffed into them and baked, steamed or sauted. Quahogs are also good as appetizers or as side dish.

So you are just starting to get into seafood, not a problem. Even the professional and experienced seafood connoisseur's will agree, there is literally no end to the variety of dishes that can be prepared when using seafood. One simple example of this is to take any dish that you have already prepared in the past and then just add a seafood item to it. If you had a dish of steamed broccoli with rice and then added some steamed mussels, your dish would instantly change into a high quality, exciting, and tasty seafood dish.

It is important to note that although a very large variety of seafood is available, it is often times difficult to come across items that are in season or may not do well once removed from the ocean. Shrimp is a prime example of this, when removed from saltwater a shrimp has a very short life expectancy. Due to this they are immediately cooked and then flash frozen so they can easily be shipped. Lobster on the other hand can be shipped overnight by any reputable online vendor. Quality Fresh Seafood is a prime choice when having your fresh seafood delivered overnight.

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