Preparing Shellfish and Seafood.

There are many recipies for shellfish and Seafood around the world today, and many of them are very simple to prepare, however most people are scared of trying these recipies as they do not know how to prepare the seafood before use.

Preparing seafood is not a complicated exercise, and after a couple of try's, a whole new ocean of recipies will be opened up for you as you become more confident in your cooking.

The examples of cooking the seafood below are probably the most simple of all, however a different recipie for your seafood is only a mouse click away once you have prepared the meat.

In all recipies on this page you should use the freshest shellfish you can buy, if you are in any doubt as to the freshness of the ingredients you use, then you should not proceed with the recipies below.

When buying shellfish you should make sure that it comes from a reputable source, and as with all seafood it should be eaten on the same day as it is purchased.

By using the recipies below you are confirming that you take full responsibility for the edibility of the Seafood you are preparing, and under no circumstances will you hold The Quorndon liable for any illness caused as a result of inedible produce used by you in the recipies below.

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Preparing Mussels

Scrub the shells with a stiff brush and rinse well. This can be done under cold running water.

Pull off the 'beards' or byssus thread, the stringy thread on the outside of the shell which helps the mussel attach itself to rocks, with the help of a small knife. Rinse well.

If the mussel is open and will not close after tapping it firmly with the handle of a knife, discard it as it is dead. Also discard any mussels which look damaged.

To steam, put a little dry white wine or water in a large saucepan, together with any flavourings such as chopped onion, garlic and butter.

Add the mussels, cover tightly and bring to the boil. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the shells open, shaking the pan from time to time.

Pour into a bowl and discard any that do not open.

Serve with garlic bread.

Opening and Cleaning Scallops

To open the shell, hold the scallop with the flat shell uppermost. Probe between the shells with a short knife to find a small opening. Insert the blade and run it across the roof of the shell.

Separate the two halves of the shell, and pull apart.

Pull away and discard the membrane or frill, and the black stomach parts. Wash the remaining white meat under cold water and dry.

Remove the thick white muscle around the outer edge of the scallop and discard.

If required, separate the orange coral (roe) from the white meat.

Pan fry on a high heat for 1-2 minutes and serve in a mixed salad with lemon juice, or wrap in thin streaky bacon and place on a kebab and grill for 5 minutes.

Opening (Shucking) Oysters

Place the oyster, wrapped in a clean cloth, on a firm surface with the flatter shell uppermost and the hinge towards you. Holding the oyster with one hand, insert the tip of an oyster knife into the gap in the hinge.

Twist the blade to prise open the shell.

Continue to hold the oyster firmly in the cloth and slide the blade along the inside of the upper shell to sever the muscle that holds the shell together. Discard the top shell and lift the lower rounded shell off the cloth, making sure the liquid in it does not spill. Clean any bits of broken shell with the point of the knife.

Grip the lower shell firmly with your fingers. Cutting towards yourself, run the blade under the oyster to sever the muscle attaching it to the lower shell and free it.

Once the oyster has been shucked, it must be eaten within a few hours.

Serve with a dash of Tabasco sauce, or with a twist of fresh lemon.

Preparing and Deveining cooked Prawns

Peel the shell away from the body. When you reach the tail, hold the body and pull away the tail, the shell will come off with it. Alternatively, you can leave the tail on the prawn and just remove the body shell.

Make a shallow cut down the centre of the curved back of the prawn. Pull out the black vein with a cocktail stick or your fingers.

To make butterfly prawns, cut along the deveining slit to split open the prawn, without cutting all the way through. Open up the prawn flat.

To devein prawns in their shells, insert a cocktail stick crossways in several places along the back where the shell overlaps to lift out the vein.

Rinse under cold water, dry on some kitchen towel.

Serve with some garlic mayonnaise and French toast.

Cooking, shelling and dressing a cooked crab

To cook the crab, place the crab in a saucepan of well-salted water (about 6oz salt to 4 pints water), cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until cooked, allowing 15 minutes per 1lb. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.

To shell the crab, lay the crab on its back. Twist off the legs and claws. Cracking round the natural line (visible near the edge), remove and discard the pale belly shell.

To clean the crab, remove and discard the small sac at the top of the crab body and the spongy gills which line the edge (they look rather like grey fish gills and are sometimes called 'dead man's fingers').

Carefully pick out all the meat from the body of the crab you can. Wash and dry the shell and use to serve the meat in later.

Crack the large claws with the back of a heavy knife, and remove the meat to a bowl.

Crack the legs of the crab and pick out the meat with a skewer, add the meat to your claw meat.

To dress the crab, cream the brown meat and season with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice.

Add the brown meat back into the clean shell of the crab, and pile the white meat on top.

Sprinkle the top of the meat with a little fresh chopped parsley, and serve with mayonnaise and brown bread.

Preparing squid

Most squid in the UK comes ready prepared, but if you wish to tackle it yourself it is quite easy, though rather messy.

Remove the tentacles, and with them the ink sac and entrails, by pulling away from the body.

Remove the clear, plastic-like piece of cartilage (quill) that runs inside the length of the body.

Cut the head, which is next to the ink sac and has two large eyes, away from the tentacles.

Scrape away the fine pink membrane from the outside of the body.

Wash the body and tentacles to remove all traces of ink.

You should now have a perfectly clear, white, empty squid tube with tentacles.

Heat a frying pan on a high heat, and fry in a little olive oil for 2 minutes.

Season with black pepper and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Happy Eating!