Seafood
• Seafood- edible finfish and shellfish
• Types and Market Forms of Fish and
Shellfish:
– Finfish- have fins, a bony skeleton, and a backbone
– Shellfish- no fins or bones but have a shell
– Freshwater Fish- Inland waters such as lakes,
ponds, and rivers
– Saltwater Fish- (seafood) Waters such as oceans
and seas
– Today many fish farms are able to raise both
Types of Fish
• Light color, mild flavor, and tender
texture:
– Catfish, Cod, Flounder, Haddock, Halibut,
Perch, Pike, Pollock, Pompano, Red Snapper,
Sole, Trout, Turbot, Whitefish
• Dark color, more pronounced flavor, and
firm texture:
– Bluefish, Mackerel, Salmon, Swordfish,
Tuna
Market Forms of Fish
• Drawn- Whole fish w/ scales, gills, and
internal organs removed
• Dressed or Pandressed- “Drawn” fish w/
head, tail, and fins removed
• Filets- Sides of fish cut lengthwise
away from bones and backbone (usually
boneless)
• Steaks- Cross sections cut from large
dressed fish (may contain bones)
Shellfish
• Mild, sweet flavor
• Mainly found in oceans and seas but some from freshwater
• Two types- crustaceans & mollusks
– Crustaceans- long bodies w/ jointed limbs/ covered w/ shells
• Crabs- Round shell, eight legs, two claws; sold live, cooked, or frozen
• Crayfish- (freshwater) “crawfish” look like small lobsters
• Lobster- long, jointed body w/ 4 pair of legs & 2 lg. Claws, all covered w/
a hard shell
– Average weight is 1 ¼ lb.- 2 ¼ lb.
– Fresh lobster is sold and cooked live
– Maine is the most popular place for fresh lobster
• Shrimp- vary in size and color, usually sold frozen or previously frozen,
raw or cooked
– Mollusks- soft bodies covered by at least 1 shell
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Clams
Mussels
Oysters
Scallops
Squid (calamari)
Inspection & Grading
• FDA- Food and Drug Administration &
National Marine Fisheries Service of
the US Dep’t of Commerce
Buying & Storing Fish & Shellfish
• Buy from a reliable source
• Display of fish
– Be sure that ice is
covering all of the fish
– Ready-to-eat fish should
not be directly next to
fresh fish
• Appearance and aroma
• Fresh fish- shiny skin &
mild aroma/ skin should
spring back when touched
• Shellfish- must be live to
be fresh
• If fish smells “fishy” it is
NOT good
Store fish in refrigerator
(1-2 days) or freezer
immediately
Do not put saltwater
shellfish in fresh water
Market Forms….
• Fresh- HOW FRESH IS FRESH???
• Frozen- usually sold as filets/ must
thaw in refrigerator
• Canned- tuna, salmon (oil vs. water)
• Cured- smoked, pickled, salted