Session 2
Shell Fish
Identification and Fabrication
Today’s Agenda
Quiz Review –
Shell Fish Four distinct categories based on their skeletal structure
1.
2.
3.
Univalves
Bivalves
Crustaceans
a)
b)
c)
4.
5.
6.
Lobster
Crab
Shrimp and Prawns
Cephalopods
Additional Items
Storage
Lab Overview
What is a Mollusk?
Mollusks have a soft, un-segmented body
and no internal skeleton which may be
completely or partially enclosed in a shell.
univalves
bivalves
cephalopods
Mollusk
•Purchasing
•Storage
•Cookery
Fundamentals
•Indicators
of Quality
Univalves
single shelled mollusks
Abalone – one shell and a suction
cup
Snails – imported from France
Conch- from the Caribbean, gastropod
A class of large mollusk.
Bivalves
Clams, hard shell clam or quahog,
littleneck are small hard shell.
Cherrystones and 3” or more in
diameter are quahogs
Scallops: 3 species Bay, Sea or
Calico often sold shucked
Mostly farm-raised sold live in the
shell
Oysters sold live or shuckedmarketed by the name which the bed
they were harvested
Cephalopods
Octopus firm texture sweet marine flavor
Have no exterior shell instead they have one single internal
shell called a pen or cuttlebone which is made out of
calcium.
Squid available range of sizes
Smaller are stuffed and cooked whole
Larger are cut into rings and fried
Lobster
What is a Crustacean?
Have a hard outer shell and jointed
appendages and breathe through gills.
New England Main lobster.
Female
sspiny lobster or rock lobster often
sold frozen tails.
Male
Crab
Varieties of crab can be purchased
common varieties Dungeness, King crab
soft shell, blue.
In the summer when the crab molts blue
crabs are sold as soft shell
Purchased by fresh, frozen, live, can,
claw, lump….
Shrimp and Prawns
One of the most popular
crustaceans.
Most commonly available
frozen, generally fabricated
and flash frozen right on the
shrimp boat.
Shrimp are sold according to
the number in a pound,
Crustacean
Purchasing
Storage
Cookery Fundamentals
Indicators of
Quality
Additional Items
Caviar – salted roe traditionally sturgeon. Briny
delicate flavor.
Sea Urchin delicate, texture moderate, flavor –
can beaten from the shell as is-smooth buttery
texture and sweet taste.
Krab, need we say more. Everywhere
else in the world it’s called Surimi.
Harvesting Shell fish
Pot Fishing
Pots or traps, are fished on the bottom from single lines and
buoys, with one pot per line, or from long lines, with several pots to a
string and buoys marking either end of the “set.” Lobsters and most
crab species are captured by the former method (single pots). A wire
lobster pot may weigh less than 10 pounds, while a king crab trap
can weigh 500 pounds. Pot fishing is highly selective, and the
product is landed alive for maximum quality.
Dredging
This method used for capturing shellfish, primarily scallops,
clams, oysters and mussels. A dredge is essentially a metal “rake”
that’s drug across the ocean bottom, scraping up shellfish in its path.
The shellfish are collected and held in a chain-mesh bag. Dredges
vary from hand-operated to much larger, hydraulically operated
versions like those used for harvesting sea scallops and surf clams.
Lab Overview
•
•
•
•
Live Lobster Fabrication
Cooked Lobster Fabrication
P&D Shrimp
Debeard Mussels, Steam, ½
shell, vacuum seal
• Shuck Oysters
• Squid clean, bread and vs
• Handle and Store Properly
• Shucking a Lobster