Shellfish
Mollusks
Crustaceans
Mollusks
Mollusks
• Bivalve = mussels, clams, oysters, scallops
• Univalve = conch, abalone, snails
• Cephalopod = squid, octopus, cuttlefish
Anatomy; three body parts
• Muscular foot for movement,
• Internal organs
• Exterior mantle or shell if they have one
Bivalve: Mollusks with two hinged shells
• Mussels; attach to structures i.e. rocks, vessels, ropes with the use of a
“beard” (hair like strands protruding from the shell. When the beard is
pulled out the mussel will die.
• Efficient farm raised product using a buoy and ropes
• Available live, par-cooked in the shell, shucked or smoked
• Clams; burrow in sand/mud, must be cleaned well to remove debris.
• Available live, shucked or chopped
• Farmed in natural beads
• Scallops; lie on ocean floor and swim by clapping shells
• Available live, IQF or packed (wet and dry)
• Some farming mostly harvested in the wild
• Oysters; burrow in sand/mud, must be cleaned well to remove debris
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Farmed in natural beds
European – flat, mild with metallic taste
Asian – cupped, melon and cucumber aromas,(West Coast US)
Virginian – cupped, green leaf aroma (East Coast US)
Available live, shucked or smoked
Univalve: Mollusks with one shell
• Conch (Sea Snail) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOn6VjEQOug
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Can grow very large
Delicate flavor
Can be tough and chewy if not prepared properly
Overfishing depleted much of the wild population
Farming practices now make it a sustainable product
• Abalone
• Can be tough and chewy if not prepared properly
• Overfishing depleted much of the wild population
• Farming practices now make it a sustainable product
Cephalopods; Mollusks with no external shell
Literally means Head on Foot
Mobile carnivores with large eyes and long arms (tentacles),
shell is an internal structure called the “pen”, mantle contracts
to expel water through funnel (foot) for movement.
• Squid
• Octopus
• Cuttlefish
• Harvested in the wild
Edible parts include;
• Tentacles
• Mantle or tube
• ink
Crustacean
Segmented Exoskeleton
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Crabs
Lobsters
Shrimp
Crayfish
Barnacles
• Crustaceans go through a molting process where they
shed the hard shell in order to grow.
• New shell underneath hardens in a short period of
time
• Some crustaceans are edible during the molting
process and are highly prized as soft shell and can be
prepared whole
Storage
• Live shellfish should be stored at 41 ̊F
• Store in boxes or net bags where they can breath
• Frozen shellfish
• IQF
• Block
• Glazed
• Shelled or shucked
• Pasteurized canned crab
• Dry pack scallops – no additives
• Wet pack scallops – water and preservatives may be added
• Processed
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Smoked
Canned
Chopped
Peeled and deveined, P & D
Federal Inspection
• Like fish, shellfish inspection is voluntary
• Provisions for monitoring the sale and distribution of live mollusks
are strict and conducted through the FDA (food and drug
administration) and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference.
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Monitoring water safety
Tracking sales and distribution
Tracking processing facilities
Investigating outbreaks
• Shellfish stock tags
• Used for live mollusks
• Must be kept with the original storage container until the product is
completely used
• Must be kept on file for 90 days after the last of the product is used
Cooking Shellfish
• Mollusks
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Bivalves may be shucked or steamed open
Clams, scallops, oysters are eaten raw or cooked
Mussels are always cooked
Univalves require special tenderizing and preparations
Cephalopods require special cleaning and cooking
• Crustaceans
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Usually need to be partially cooked to remove shells
Shells used for stocks
Overcooking makes them rubbery
Once cooked can be served cold or reheated