Preparing and Cooking Shell-fish

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 93, Issue 1, 16 July 1956, Page 99

Preparing and Cooking Shell-fish

By

ELIZABETH LAURENSON,

formerly Field Officer in Rural Sociology, Department of Agriculture, Auckland

MANY overseas visitors consider the toheroa New Zealand's finest delicacy. Toheroas may be collected on several beaches, and other shell-fish are readily available along many parts of the coast. A visit to the beach to collect shell-fish can often provide the reason for a day's outing and then the shell-fish can be cooked and eaten on the beach or taken home and cooked in a more elaborate manner. In this article the preparation ■of shell-fish and some ways of cooking them are described.

WHEN shell-fish are collected from the beaches freshness can be assured, provided they are not taken from polluted beaches, such as those near sewer outfalls. Only fresh shellfish should be purchased. If mussels and oysters are bought in the shell, they should be alive. This is shown by tightly closed shells and if the .shells are partly open, oysters or mussels must be discarded. Crayfish and prawns sold cooked should have been freshly boiled. The tail, if pulled back a little, should feel springy and not limp. If possible, it is best not to keep shell-fish for long before using them, as they deteriorate ■quickly, especially in summer, when they should be kept in a cool storage place.

Shell-fish are a good source of iodine and a fair source of vitamin Bj, but as they are not served frequently, they make little contribution to the diet. Shell-fish are often used in sauces or as a garnish to be served with boiled, fried, or steamed fish and there are many tasty dishes that can be prepared from them. Mussels Mussels may be collected from the rocks at beaches or bought prepared and ready for eating at fish shops. One of the most enjoyable ways of serving mussels is to boil them in sea water at the beach and eat them in the open.

Mussels must be scrubbed and then rinsed thoroughly in running water to remove as much sand as possible. To cook mussels simmer them in a covered pan with a very little water. When the shells open the mussels are ready and can be removed from the shells. Cut off and discard the hairy beards and strain off and keep any liquor, which can be used for making sauces or to flavour fish soup. Mussel Soup 24 mussels in the 1 clove shell 2 tablespoons of 3 cups of water butter 1 onion, sliced 2 tablespoons of flour 2 or 3 pepper corns 1 cup of milk 1 bay leaf Salt 1 tablespoon of Pepper chopped parsley . Wash the mussels in several waters, taking care to scrub off all the sand. Put the mussels in a saucepan with the water, onion, and seasonings. Simmer for 15 minutes, when the mussel shells should be open. • Strain through fine muslin, keeping the stock. Remove the mussels from the shells and take off the beards. Melt the butter, add the flour, and gradually add the milk, stirring all the time. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the ■■ mussel

stock gradually, season well, and when the mixture is boiling add the mussels and serve at once. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Scrambled Eggs with Mussels 30 prepared mussels 6 eggs, lightly beaten t teaspoon of salt 1 tablespoon of cream Pepper J cup of soft breadl tablespoon of butter crumbs (6 servings) - Chop the mussels finely and season with salt and pepper. Mix together eggs, cream, and breadcrumbs. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the egg mixture, and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the mussels and scramble slowly. Mussels au Gratin 12 prepared mussels >1 cup of soft brown i cup of white wine breadcrumbs Finely chopped 2 tablespoons of parsley' finely grated cheese i cup of water Place the mussels in a deep pan and add the water and the wine. Cover the pan, bring to the boil, and simmer for 1 minute. Remove the pan from

the heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Drain off the liquor and set it aside. Arrange the mussels in a buttered fireproof dish and sprinkle them with breadcrumbs, then with parsley, and finally with cheese. Pour the strained liquor over the mussels, adding a little more wine if desired, and heat the mixture in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 15 minutes before serving. Oysters Rock oysters or the larger, South Island oysters are available in the shops at certain times of the year. Usually oysters are sold already prepared for eating, but if they' are obtained in the shell, they must be tightly,. closed. They can be opened by inserting a sharp knife between the shells on the valve side and cutting through. The oysters should then be washed and bearded and the liquor should be examined for any pieces of shell. There are many delicious ways of using oysters, either as a main dish

for the meal or as a savoury for parties. Oyster Cocktail k 12 oysters 2 teaspoons of lemon 1 teaspoon of tomato juice sauce" 1 teaspoon of Salt . Worcestershire Pepper sauce Beard the oysters and put three in each glass with their liquor. Mix together lemon juice and the sauces and add salt and pepper. When well mixed divide the mixture between the glasses and serve. Oysters on the Shell Use the deep halves of the shells. Place a raw, cleaned oyster on each shell together with the liquor. Serve with lemon juice or vinegar, pepper, and thin brown bread and butter. Pigs in Blankets Dry one dozen large oysters and roll a half slice of bacon round each. Fasten them with tooth picks if necessary. Place them on a rack in . a dish

and bake until the bacon is crisp. Serve hot. Oyster Souffle 1 cup of chopped 1 cup of milk oysters 3 tablespoons of flour 3 eggs J teaspoon of salt 3 tablespoons of Pepper butter

- Make a thick sauce by melting the butter, adding the flour, cooking it until it is smooth, and then adding the milk gradually, stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Cook the sauce until it is thick. Add the oysters to the white sauce, mix thoroughly, and cool slightly. Beat the egg yolks and add them. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and fold them into the mixture. Pour the mixture into a greased baking ' dish, filling not more than two-thirds of it. Set the dish in a pan of hot water and bake the souffle at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve immediately. Fried Oysters 12 large oysters Fine brown breadSalt crumbs 1 egg (beaten) Pepper Dry the oysters in a cloth and roll them in the breadcrumbs seasoned

with salt and pepper. Allow to stand for 15 minutes and then dip in beaten egg and again roll in crumbs. Allow to stand in a cool spot for another 15 minutes. Fry the oysters for 1 minute at 400 degrees F. Drain on paper. Serve hot garnished with parsley and slices of lemon.

Toheroas Toheroas can be collected on some beaches at certain seasons of the year, but to conserve them the number which may be removed by each person is limited. The toheroa has a three-sided shell. To open the toheroa slide a sharp knife between the shells on the long, flat side and the short, rounded side and cut through the muscles. Open the shell, remove the toheroa, and wash it thoroughly to remove the sand. As toheroas are tougher than other commonly used shell-fish, they are most often made into stew or soup, though they can be minced and made into fritters.

Toheroa Fritters 6 toheroas 1 egg beaten in 1 cup of flour cups of milk li teaspoons of 1 tablespoon of baking powder melted fat 1 teaspoon of salt

To make the batter sift the dry ingredients and add the egg, milk, and melted fat. Beat the ingredients only long enough to mix them; the batter should still be slightly lumpy. Wash the toheroas, mince them, and add them to the batter. Drop dessertspoons of the fritter mixture into shallow fat and cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Drain the fritters on absorbent paper and serve hot with parsley and lemon juice. Toheroa Soup 12 toheroas 2oz. of butter 2 cups of water Few grains of mace 2 cups of milk Pepper J teaspoon of Salt mustard 1 teaspoon of lemon 3 tablespoons of juice flour (6 servings) Wash and mince the toheroas. Simmer the minced toheroas in the

water for 1 hour and then rub them through a sieve. Melt the butter, add the flour, mustard, and mace and cook until the mixture froths. Add the milk gradually, stirring all the time until the mixture thickens. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the toheroa puree. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper and serve with croutons. Scallops Scallops may be collected on some beaches or may be bought frozen from fishmongers. Like other shell-fish scallops must be fresh with the shells tightly closed. They can be opened by being placed on top of the stove, when the shells will open by themselves. The scallops should then be removed from the shells and bearded. The deep shells are very useful and attractive for serving various savoury dishes. Scallops au Gratin 1 quart of scallops 1 cup of fine buttered 1 teaspoon of salt breadcrumbs J cup of finely 1 J cup of minced chopped celery green pepper 2 tablespoons of 1 cup of light cream grated cheese Wash and drain scallops; cover with cold water, heat slowly to boiling, and drain. Line a greased baking dish with a thin layer of breadcrumbs. Add scallops in layers, sprinkling each layer with salt, green pepper, and celery until all the scallops are used. Add the cream. Top with the remaining breadcrumbs mixed with the cheese and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 30 minutes. Pipis and Cockles Pipis and cockles are usually collected on the beach. They are opened by heating in water and removed when their shells open. Crayfish Live crayfish are of a dull colour which varies according to their surroundings, but boiled crayfish are a brilliant red. The humane way of boiling crayfish is to put them in cold water and bring the water to boiling point. The tail is drawn up under the body and the crayfish turns bright red. Crayfish are boiled for 20 to 40 minutes according to size, and then dropped into cold 'water. When preparing the crayfish turn it over on its back and cut lengthwise through the body and tail. Remove the cord, which is dark in colour and runs down the centre of the tail. The lungs and stomach are also discarded. The green liver can be eaten if desired and the “coral”, which is sometimes found under the tail of the female crayfish, can be used for garnish or to make sauce. Remove the flesh from the shell, which may be washed and dried and used to hold the meat for serving. Legs and claws may be used for decoration of various dishes. .

Crayfish Croquettes 1 cup of thick white Paprika sauce i teaspoon of salt 2 cups of flaked 1 teaspoon of lemon crayfish meat juice 1 cup of crumbled 1 tablespoon of bread .. minced parsley 2 eggs, lightly beaten Dry breadcrumbs Mix white sauce, crayfish, and bread; add salt, lemon juice, parsley, and paprika. Mix well and chill. When the mixture is stiff enough to handle mould it into croquettes and dip in egg and then in breadcrumbs. Allow the croquettes to stand for a while to harden the surface and then fry in hot deep fat (385 degrees F.) for about 2 minutes or until golden . brown. Crayfish Thermidor 1 large crayfish 2 tablespoons of 2 tablespoons of butter finely minced onion ' 2 tablespoons of flour 2 cups of milk Salt 1 tablespoon of Pepper chopped parsley 3 to 4 tablespoons of 2 tablespoons of fresh breadcrumbs grated cheese Cut the crayfish in halves lengthwise; remove the meat from the shells and divide it into neat pieces. Keep the shells and clean them for serving. Melt the butter and fry the onion until soft. Add the flour, mix thoroughly, and gradually add the milk, stirring all the time until the sauce thickens and boils. Heat the meat in the sauce. • Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the chopped parsley. Fill the shells with the mixture. Sprinkle the top with a mixture of breadcrumbs and cheese and dot with a little butter. Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes. Crayfish Newburg (Delicious American Dish) 2 cups of cubed 3 egg yolks, lightly crayfish meat beaten 2 tablespoons of J cup of thin cream butter j teaspoon of salt. 1 cup of sherry . Cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons of . Nutmeg brandy (6 servings) Cook the crayfish in butter for 3 minutes. Add the liquors and cook for 1 minute longer. Mix ‘ the egg yolks and cream,. add to crayfish, and cook until the mixture just thickens, stirring constantly. . If overcooked, the sauce will curdle. Remove from the heat immediately, season with salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg, and serve on toast or in patty shells. Risotto with Crayfish 2 cups of rice 1 teaspoon of . i cup; of . olive oil turmeric 1 green pepper sliced 1 tablespoon of 1 chopped onion golden syrup 4 or 5 cups of stock Juice of J lemon lib. of cooked J cup of cream or top crayfish of the milk 4 tablespoons of 1 cup of grated butter cheese J teaspoon of nutmeg Salt Pepper Put the rice in a heavy pan with the oil, green pepper, onion, salt, and

pepper and cook gently without browning on a low heat for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the stock (hot) and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes until rice is tender. Risotto must be moist. If it seems a little dry, put a few lumps of butter on top. Flake the crayfish and heat it separately for . 3 minutes in the butter, golden syrup, spices, and lemon juice. Then stir in the cream and half the cheese. Put the hot rice in a big serving dish, add the crayfish in the centre, and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese. Prawns and Shrimps Prawns may sometimes be bought at the fishmonger’s and canned shrimps are available in the shops. The shell, legs, and intestinal vein should be removed from prawns. Dishes made from either prawns or shrimps will be expensive, but delicious. Shrimp and Pineapple Salad 1J cups of shrimps 2 sprigs of chopped IJ. cups of diced , chives pineapple 1 teaspoon of salt J teaspoon of paprika 6 tablespoons of Lettuce leaves french dressing Combine shrimps, pineapple, chives, salt, and paprika and mix well. Chill thoroughly. When ready to serve mix with french dressing. Arrange on lettuce leaves. French Dressing i tablespoon of salad Pinch of dry mustard oil ’ 1 tablespoon of Pepper vinegar i teaspoon of salt Mix the oil and seasoning and add the vinegar. Stir before using, as the ingredients separate out on standing. Corn and Shrimp Souffle 1 tin of corn 1 tablespoon of 3 eggs, separated melted butter 1 teaspoon of salt 3 cups of shrimps 2 teaspoons of sugar (6 servings) Stir the corn into well-beaten egg yolks; add seasonings, melted butter, and shrimps. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Turn the mixture into a greased casserole, cover, and place in a pan of hot water. Bake in a fairly slow oven (300 degrees F.) for 1 hour or until firm. Remove the cover for the last 10 minutes to brown the top. All photographs by Sparrow.

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