Chpt 18 - Seafood

Chapter 18: Seafood Overview

Seafood Inspections and Grades

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• Monitors interstate fish shipments

• Requires fish processors to adopt HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)

• Does not inspect seafood directly

U.S. Department of Commerce (USDC)

• Provides voluntary seafood inspection

• Processed Under Federal Inspection (PUFI) ensures seafood is safe and wholesome

• Operations must meet sanitary guidelines

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

• Publishes grades for seafood, both fresh and processed

• Grades include: A, B, C, or below standard

  • Factors for grading:

    • Appearance

    • Blemishes and damage

    • Color

    • Dehydration

    • Flavor

    • Odor

    • Texture

    • Uniformity

Seafood Grades

Grade A

• Highest quality definition:

  • Excellent appearance

  • Good flavor

  • No odor

  • Free of blemishes or defects

  • Marked with a grading stamp

• Commonly used in restaurant and food service operations

Grade B

• Good quality seafood:

  • May have some blemishes or defects

  • Acceptable for use in restaurants

Grade C

• Relatively good quality:

  • Typically used for dishes that do not require an attractive appearance

Below Standard

• Bad quality:

  • Specifications must be provided to vendors by operators

Forms of Seafood

Shellfish

• Characteristics:

  • Outer shell, no backbone, living in saltwater

Crustaceans

• Characteristics:

  • Have an outer skeleton

  • Jointed appendages

  • Examples: shrimp, lobster, crab

Mollusks

• Hard shells:

  • Univalves (one shell) like abalone

  • Bivalves (two shells) such as clams, oysters, mussels, scallops

Cephalopods

• Examples:

  • Muscular tentacles around head, such as octopus and squid

Common Mollusks and Crustaceans in Restaurants

• Mollusks:

  • Oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, squid, octopus

  • Purchase options: live, fresh, frozen, or canned; in shell or shucked

• Crustaceans:

  • Lobsters, shrimp, crabs, crayfish

Lobster Classification

• Classified by weight:

  • Chicken lobsters: about 1 pound

  • Quarters lobsters: ~1.25 pounds

  • Select lobsters: ~1.5 - 2.25 pounds

  • Jumbo lobsters: > 2.5 pounds

  • Rock lobster: also known as spiny or langouste lobster

• Purchase options: live, cooked meat (fresh or frozen), canned, or IQF (Individually Quick Frozen)

Common Crabs Used in Foodservice

• Alaskan king crab

• Alaskan snow crab

• Dungeness crab

• Blue crab

• Softshell crab

• Stone crab

• Purchase options: live, frozen in shell (cooked), cooked frozen meat, or canned

Common Shrimp Used in Foodservice

• Types include:

  • Gulf whites

  • Pink

  • Brown

  • Black tigers

• Prawns:

  • Larger shrimp, clawed on three pairs of legs

Market Forms of Shrimp

• Popular forms include:

  • Fresh, raw, head-on, head-off (green headless), peeled, deveined (digestive tract removed), cooked and peeled, and IQF

• Shrimp are classified by count per pound

Finfish Characteristics

• Fish with a backbone, can be freshwater or saltwater

• Two categories by shape: Roundfish: Round body shape, one eye on each side (e.g., cod, sea bass, tuna, trout) Flatfish: Oval and flat, swim on their side (e.g., flounder, halibut)

Finfish Processing Forms

• Fatty or lean characteristics

• Can be fresh/frozen, processed, dried, brined, or smoked

• Market forms:

  • Whole or round

  • Drawn

  • Dressed

  • Fish fillets

  • Butterfly fillet

  • Steak

Receiving Seafood

Finfish - Acceptable Conditions

• Sensitive to time-temperature abuse

• Frozen fish must be solidly frozen

• Reject fish if ice crystals or frozen liquids are present

Acceptable Finfish Identifiers

• Color: Bright red gills, shiny skin

• Texture: Firm flesh that springs back when touched

• Odor: Mild ocean or seaweed smell

• Eyes: Bright, clear, and full

• Packaging: Surrounded by crushed, self-draining ice

Receiving Live Shellfish

• Must be received on ice

• Air temperature must be 45°F (7°C) or lower with internal temperature no greater than 50°F (10°C)

• Cool to 41°F (5°C) or lower within four hours

Receiving Shucked Shellfish

• Must have an internal temperature of 41°F (5°C) or lower

Shellstock Identification Tag

• Document detailing when and where harvested; kept on file for 90 days after last date of use

Acceptable Shellfish Conditions

• Require mild ocean or seaweed smell; for mollusks, shells must be closed and unbroken

Rejecting Shellfish

• Fresh must not be dead on arrival; strong fishy odors, and slimy, sticky, or dry texture are unacceptable

• Shells must be clean without breakage or freezer burn (frost, ice, leaking packaging)

Storing Seafood

Finfish Storage

• Store at 41°F (5°C) or lower; pack fresh whole fish on a bed of flaked or crushed ice

• Change ice regularly and store frozen fish frozen

Shellfish Storage

• Store live in original container at 41°F (5°C) or lower and maintain shellstock identification tags for 90 days

• Store frozen shellfish frozen

Fabricating Seafood

Finfish Preparation

• Processes include scaling, trimming, gutting, and filleting

• Use sharp, flexible filleting knife and a clean, sanitized cutting board

Scaling Finfish

• Scrape off scales from tail to head

Gutting Fish

• Roundfish: Slice belly and pull out guts

• Flatfish: Cut around head to remove guts

Filleting Finfish

• Separate flesh from bones:

  • Flatfish yields four fillets

  • Roundfish yields two fillets

  • Remove all bones; variations include goujonettes, paupiettes, steaks, and individual fillet portions

Shellfish Preparation

• Clams and Oysters: Served in half shell; must scrub under cold running water to remove sand

• Lobsters: Meat must be removed from shell, either cooked or partially cooked; can use a blanching process

• Shrimp: Shell must be removed and deveined by cutting along the back vein to remove the digestive tract

Shucking Clams

1. Scrub the outside of the shell to remove all sand and grit

2. Use a cut-resistant glove to handle the clam

3. Insert clam knife between the top and bottom shell to open

Filleting a Roundfish

1. Cut behind the head and run the knife down the length of fish from head to tail

2. Turn fish to the second side and work from tail to head

3. Trim away belly bones and slice between skin and flesh, angling down slightly

4. Hold skin taut while slicing and remove bones with tweezers or knife

Peeling and Deveining Shrimp

• Peel away shell, cut along back vein, and remove the intestinal tract

Cooking Techniques for Seafood

Pairing Fish with Cooking Technique

• Consider the flesh of the fish:

  • Oily fish (e.g., mackerel) —dry-heat cooking

  • Moderate fat (e.g., tuna, salmon)—any cooking method

  • Very lean (e.g., sole, flounder)—poach or sauté

Cooking Methods

• Dry-heat Cooking:

  • For fatty fish, fillets or steaks recommended

  • Ideal cooking temperature ranges from 350°F (177°C) to 400°F (204°C)

  • Techniques include baking, broiling, grilling

• Moist-heat Cooking:

  • Ideal for delicate fish and shellfish

  • Methods such as poaching and steaming recommended

• Combination Cooking:

  • Techniques involving both dry and moist heat, e.g., stewing or braising

  • Examples include bouillabaisse, cioppino, jambalaya

Determining Doneness

• Indicators include transitions of flesh from translucent to opaque, firmness, separation from bone, flake appearance, and temperatures reaching 145°F (63°C) for safety.