CHAPTER 14
UNDERSTANDING FISH AND SHELLFISH
Fill in the blanks.
1.
2.
Three examples of fat fish are ___________, _______________, and _______________.
Four examples of lean fish are ___________, _______________, ________________, and
_________________.
3. Three examples of flat fish are ______________, _______________, and ______________.
4. Five examples of round fish are ______________, ______________, ________________,
________________, and _______________.
5. The most important sigh of freshness in fish fillets is ______________________________.
6. Frozen fish should be stored at a temperature of _______________________.
7. The abbreviation I.Q.F., when applied to shrimp, means ____________________________.
8. The green liver inside the body of the lobster is called ____________________.
9. Shrimp sizes are usually indicated by __________________________________.
10. P/D or P&D shrimp are shrimp that have been ____________________
________________________.
Multiple Choice
11. Because there are hundreds of species of fish and shellfish, each with its own
characteristics, it is important for students to be familiar with the basic principles of
___________ so that they can use the many varieties of seafood in a systematic way.
(a) cooking
(b) handling
(c) structure
(d) all of the above
12. Shellfish have __________ and __________.
(a) fins, external shells
(b) internal shells, no fins
(c) no fins, internal skeleton
(d) external shells, no internal bone structure
13. Which of the following is not true about fish storage?
(a) Frozen fish should be tightly wrapped to prevent freezer burn.
(b) Fresh fish should be stored on crushed ice.
(c) Frozen fat fish can be stored up to six months.
(d) Frozen fish should be stored at 0°F (-18°C) or colder.
14. __________ is the major flaw in fish preparation.
(a) Flaking
(b) Overcooking
(c) Undercooking
(d) Producing translucent flesh
15. A fish is done—but not overcooked—if its__________.
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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
flesh falls apart easily
bones are only slightly pink
flesh has just turned from translucent to opaque
all of the above
16. Three of the following are fat fish. Which one is a lean fish?
(a) sole
(b) tuna
(c) trout
(d) salmon
17. Three of the following are lean fish. Which one is a fat fish?
(a) cod
(b) bass
(c) mackerel
(d) red snapper
18. Which set of words completes the following sentence correctly?
especially well suited to __________.
(a) Lean, poaching
(b) Fat , broiling and baking
(c) both of the above
(d) none of the above
__________ fish is
19. The chef at Café Requin is likely to buy her fish whole if __________.
(a) she makes fish stock from fish bones
(b) she cleans fish herself and is willing to watch the market for the best prices each
day
(c) Café Requin is in the heart of a fresh fish market, where whole fresh fish are
economical and available every day
(d) all of the above
20. All of the following are saltwater fish except __________.
(a) cod
(b) sole
(c) pike
(d) flounder
21. All of the following are freshwater fish except __________.
(a) trout
(b) perch
(c) tilapia
(d) porgy
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22. Flounder, sole, halibut, and turbot are all __________ fish.
(a) saltwater flat
(b) freshwater flat
(c) saltwater round
(d) freshwater round
23. If a fish's _____, then it is probably not very fresh.
(a) odor is fresh and mild
(b) gills are gray or brown
(c) flesh is firm and elastic
(d) eyes are clear, shiny, and bulging
24. Frozen fish should be __________.
(a) stored at 0°F (-18°C) or colder
(b) wrapped to prevent freezer burn
(c) stored no more than 2 months for fat fish and 6 months for lean fish
(d) all of the above
25. If Chef Pecher is interested in the appearance, flavor, and uniformity of the seafood she
purchases, then she should pay attention to the results of its __________.
(a) grading
(b) inspection
(c) quality audit
(d) piscatorial assessment
26. If Chef Pecher is interested in the cleanliness, wholesomeness, safety, and labeling
accuracy of the seafood she purchases, then she should pay attention to the results of
its ____________.
(a) grading
(b) inspection
(c) quality audit
(d) piscatorial assessment
27. Three of the following are types of the fourth. Which is the fourth?
(a) bivalves
(b) mollusks
(c) univalves
(d) cephalopods
28. Which of the following shellfish → type combinations is correct?
(a) clam and oyster → univalve
(b) abalone and conch → bivalve
(c) squid and octopus → cephalopod
(d) all of the above
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29. A __________ is an animal with a segmented shell and jointed legs.
(a) porgy
(b) scallop
(c) mollusk
(d) crustacean
30. I live in the sea, have a soft body, and am protected by a pair of hard, hinged shells. I
am a __________.
(a) squid
(b) bivalve
(c) langouste
(d) crustacean
31. Which of the following is true about oysters?
(a) Oysters cannot be frozen and thawed safely.
(b) Oysters are available only in months without an "R" in their name.
(c) Oysters must be dead for at least 24 hours before they can be safely eaten.
(d) Oysters can be keep for a week if they are stored in a cold, wet place in the
cartoons or sacks in which they arrived.
32. Hard-shell clams are flushed to _____.
(a) remove sand
(b) open their shells
(c) check for freshness
(d) make sure they are dead before they are cooked
33. Which of the following is true about clams?
(a) Clams become soft and mushy when they are overcooked.
(b) The smallest and most tender clams are known as "chowders."
(c) The method for opening clams is the same as the method for opening oysters.
(d) Clams can be purchased live in the shell, shucked (either fresh or frozen), and
canned (either whole or chopped).
34. Mussels __________.
(a) are finny fish
(b) are often sold dead
(c) are often served raw like oysters and clams
(d) have a beard that must be removed during the cleaning process
35. If you ordered calamari in a restaurant, you would receive __________.
(a) squid
(b) octopus
(c) scallops
(d) none of the above
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36. I have a large, flexible tail, four pairs of legs, two large claws, and I am a highly prized
shellfish all around the world. I am a __________.
(a) lobster
(b) mollusk
(c) crawfish
(d) langouste
37. Which of the following weight classifications of lobsters is the lightest?
(a) select
(b) jumbo
(c) chicken
(d) quarter
38. A lobster is female if __________.
(a) it contains no red coral
(b) it weighs less than 2 pounds
(c) its shell turns pink when it is cooked
(d) its front pair of swimmerets is soft and flexible
39. Lobsters should be __________.
(a) alive before they are cooked
(b) kept alive either in fresh water or sawdust in a warm place
(c) cooked in boiling water for at least 30 minutes to ensure tenderness
(d) all of the above
40. If you were eating a rock lobster, you would be eating only its __________.
(a) tail
(b) coral
(c) claws
(d) swimmerets
41. Large shrimp are sometime butterflied to _____.
(a) speed cooking
(b) make them appear larger
(c) give them more surface area for breading
(d) all of the above
42. A prawn is a __________.
(a) crustacean
(b) large shrimp
(c) green shrimp
(d) both a and b
43. If a shrimp is green, it __________.
(a) has been frozen
(b) is raw and in the shell
(c) has been cooked, but not shelled
(d) has been shelled, but not deveined
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44. A soft-shell crab is actually a molting __________ crab which has been harvested before
its new shell has hardened.
(a) blue
(b) king
(c) stone
(d) dungeness
45. Which of the following combinations is correct?
(a) quill — crab
(b) scampi — lobster
(c) tomalley — shrimp
(d) none of the above
46. If you think you are eating crab, but you really are not, then you are most likely eating
__________.
(a) surimi
(b) scampi
(c) escargot
(d) calamari
47. Which of the following is a processed seafood product rather than an actual type of fin
fish or shellfish?
(a) surimi
(b) scampi
(c) escargot
(d) calamari
48. You eat my hind legs; I am similar to chicken in taste and texture; and I can be
sautéed, deep-fried, or poached and served with a sauce. I am a(n) __________.
(a) frog
(b) snail
(c) surimi
(d) escargot
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True/False
49. A major problem in deep-frying fish is that the fish can become quickly overcooked at
the high temperature of the deep fryer.
50. Large, mature fish need long cooking with moist heat in order to be made tender.
51. Cod steaks that are to be broiled or baked should be basted with fat.
52. If the flesh of a whole poached trout sticks firmly to the bone, it is probably overcooked.
53. Lean fish may be cooked by moist-heat methods and by dry-heat methods, but fat fish
should be cooked with dry heat only.
54. Fat fish should never be cooked in fat, or they will be too greasy.
55. Dressed fish is fish that has been scaled and gutted and has had the head, fins, and tail
cut off.
56. Unlike meat and poultry, most fresh fish is not federally inspected.
57. Good quality fresh whole fish should have red or pink gills.
58. Frozen fish should be thawed in the refrigerator or under warm running water.
59. For best quality, frozen, breaded seafood products for deep-frying should be thawed
before cooking.
60. For volume service, oysters to be served raw on the half-shell may be opened by placing
them in an oven on sheet pans until the shells open.
61. If scallops are overcooked, they become mushy and fall apart.
62. Sautéed shrimp should be cooked at high heat to get rid of their strong, fishy taste.
63. A 1-pound (450-g) lobster will yield about ½ pound (225 g) of cooked, clean meat.
64. Another name for squid is “cuttlefish.”
65. Octopus is chewy in texture and usually requires long cooking to be made tender.
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Answers to Test Questions
1.
Many answers are possible: bluefish, mackerel, pompano, salmon, shad, swordfish,
trout, whitefish, etc.
2. Many answers are possible: flounder, sole, halibut, turbot, cod, haddock, red snapper,
bass, whiting, perch, pike, etc.
3. Many answers are possible: flounder, sole, halibut, turbot, etc.
4. Many answers are possible: bluefish, mackerel, pompano, salmon, shad, swordfish,
trout, whitefish, cod, haddock, red snapper, bass, whiting, catfish, perch, pike, etc.
5. fresh mild odor
6. 0ºF (-18ºC) or colder
7. individually quick frozen
8. tomalley
9. count per pound
10. peeled and deveined
11. d
12. d
13. c
14. b
15. c
16. a
17. c
18. c
19. d
20. c
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
d
a
b
d
a
b
b
c
d
b
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
d
a
d
d
a
a
c
d
a
a
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
d
d
b
a
d
a
a
a
T
F
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
T
F
F
F
T
T
T
F
F
F
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
F
F
F
F
T
Answers to Questions for Discussion
1.
2.
3.
4.
Fish cooks very quickly. It does not require long cooking in order to be made tender.
Moist-heat cooking methods are used not to create tenderness but to preserve
moistness and provide variety. Cooked fish must be handled very carefully or it will fall
apart. (274-275)
Great variety of answers possible. See pages 374-275.
Whole or round: completely intact, as caught.
Drawn: viscera removed.
Dressed: viscera, scales, head, tail, and fins removed.
Steaks: cross-section slices, each containing a section of the backbone (except for very
large fish, where a steak may be a portion of a cross-section slice).
Fillets: boneless sides of fish.
Butterflied fillets: two attached fillets.
Sticks: cross-sections of fillets.
(275)
Round fish have two fillets. Filleting is begun at the backbone and a whole side of the
fish is removed.
Flatfish have four fillets. Filleting is begun at the center line, and each side is removed
in two pieces. (278-279)
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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Fresh whole red snapper: Check for freshness by looking for fresh odor, clean, shining
eyes, red or pink gills, firm texture, and shiny, tight scales. After receiving, eviscerate
and keep the fish on ice in a separate refrigerator or away from other foods.
Fresh cod fillets: Check for freshness by looking for fresh, mild odor and firm texture.
Store wrapped, on ice or in refrigerator at 30-34ºF (-1 to +1ºC).
(284-285)
Frozen, glazed shrimp are coated with a thin layer of ice to protect them. This ice
melted and diluted the sauce. The shrimp should be thawed and drained before being
cooked. (284, 296-297)
These shellfish should be alive. To keep them alive, they should be kept in a cold, moist
place. Clams and oysters are kept in their original cartons or on ice. Crabs and lobsters
are kept in damp seaweed, or lobsters may be kept in salt water tanks. (286, 287, 291,
297-298)
Oysters are opened by breaking the hinge. They have one adductor muscle that must be
cut. Clams are opened by forcing a knife between the shells on the edge opposite the
hinge. They have two adductor muscles. In both cases it is important not to cut or
pierce the soft body, to carefully loosen the body from the shell, and to remove stray
particles of shell. (286, 288)
Many shellfish, especially clams, lobsters, and shrimp, become tough and rubbery when
overcooked. (288, 295, 296)
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