The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development

Fish and Shellfish

The Larousse Gastronomique defines fish and shellfish as aquatic animals (vertebrates) with fins and tails and invertebrate aquatic animals with a shell or carpace respectively. They are either marine or freshwater. Since man has evolved, he has used fish as food long before advent of agriculture in the pre-historic times, mainly because, it was easier to catch and prepare. Across various parts of the world, fish was abundant and cheap. In ancient Egypt, it was cheaper than bread; every household had a pond in which fish were reared for food uses. The Iberian peninsula exported fish to as far places as Turkey. Salmon and oysters were so cheap at a point in time that it was forbidden for employers to feed their employees with those for more than thrice a week. In europe, fishing is still a sport activity with the English, Italians and Spaniards leading the way. Seafood still remains important food for man. A cubic acre of ocean can yield 3000 pounds of edible produce far exceeding an acre of tillable soil. The variety of fish and shellfish is very vast. Of the known varieties of the species, only 40% is consumed as food. Cooking of fish and shellfish has also become popular because of relative ease of preparing, affordability and beneficial effects on health.

Classification
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The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development

Cuts of Fish
Fillet a cut of fish free from bones and skin. Darne a slice of round fish cut on the bone. Troncon a slice of flat fish cut on the bone. Supreme the best and choicest cut of fish, devoid of any bones. Delice fillet of fish, neatly stuffed and folded. Goujon fillet of fish cut into 8cm X 0.5 cm strips. Goujonettes smaller than a goujon, 5 cm X 0.5 cm strips. Paupiette fillet of fish cut, stuffed and rolled. En Tresse fillet of fish slit into three, leaving the top intact, can be plaited. En Lorgnette a cut of fish resembling a pair of monocles. The fillet is slit into two, leaving one end intact and is rolled.

Methods of Cooking
Fish can be cooked in a variety of ways. Different ways of cooking are suitable for different cuts of fish. They are as follows Cut of fish Whole Fish Fillet Darne/Troncon Delice/Paupiette Goujon/Goujonett e En-tresse En-Lorgnette Methods of Cooking braise, grill, pan-fry, poach, steam and tandoor. bake, deep-fry, en papillote, grill, pan-fry, poach & steam. bake, grill, pan-fry, poach and stew. bake, en-papillote, pan-fry, steam and stew deep-fry, en-papillote, pan-fry, poach, shallow fry & steam bake, en papillote, poach and steam bake, deep-fry, en papillote and steam.

Purchase Specifications
Purchase of fish and shellfish relies on three major factors. These are presented below Availability seafood in season should be purchased. It tastes better and is relatively cheaper in cost.

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The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development Freshness freshness should be given paramount importance while purchasing seafood. The quality of the final product depends upon the freshness of the ingredient. Percentage of Wastage Processing seafood involves a lot of wastage of the flesh that is reflected in the cost. The exact needs of the establishment should be known, it helps to purchase the right cuts thereby saving time, energy and money. However for all this, there are some guidelines that should be borne in mind while selecting and buying seafood.

Fish Fish should smell of the sea (marine) and riverweed (fresh). There should not be any unpleasant/fishy odour. Eyes should be bright, moist and bulging. Gills under dorsal fins should be red/pink and light-brown/grey in colour. No finger impression to be left on skin when pressed. Scales, if present should be plentiful and moist. Skin should be moist covered with sea slime, free of abrasions/bruises. Tail should be firm and stiff. Should be purchased daily, as far as possible. Either cut/whole. It should be transported in iceboxes filled with crushed ice.

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Shellfish If possible, they should be bought alive. They should feel heavy for its size. The specimens should be active. Claws and pincers should be intact and bound. Tails of prawns and shrimp to be springy and no black spots/chlorine marks should be present. Bivalves such as oysters and mussels should be tightly shut. No external dirt should be present. Whelks should move into shell when prodded.

Storage
Ideally seafood should be consumed as soon as possible to retain full flavour and texture. However, it can be frozen for later use. Care must be taken to ensure that the innards are gutted and the fish is thoroughly cleaned prior to freezing. The temperature should be maintained at 18C ( 0F) or lower. Fish should be cooked soon after cleaning and marinating. It should never be kept at room temperature for an extended period of time. It should be held in a walk-in cooler Rahul Dhavale KM 2002-04 F101 (B)

The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development stacked away from high-risk foods. Shellfish is to be held in salt water or if possible, in seawater from where they were caught. Smoked seafood should be kept in a fridge. Store raw seafood below cooked seafood in neat containers.

Equipments used to process seafood

Chefs Knife 6 8 is the blade length. Used for cutting. Fish Knife (filleting knife) used to cut fillets. The blade is very pliable to extract maximum flesh away from skin. Fish scaler used to remove scales from the skin of the fish. Scissors very useful to cut fins and innards in a fish. Lobsters legs as well as antennae can be trimmed. Oyster knife used to shuck open oysters from their shells. Very sharp dual edges and has a guard. Salmon kettle used to poach salmon or other fish, whole as they are. May be made out of copper as well. Griddle pan used to pan-fry fish. The pan is made of cast iron and ridge marks give neat markings on the fish surface. Frying pan used to pan-fry, shallow-fry seafood. Bamboo steamers used to steam food. Used in oriental cuisine. Stainless steel steamers - used to steam fish and shellfish. Wok extremely versatile. Made of cast iron, conducts heat evenly Barbeque rack used to barbeque whole fish. Smoker used for imparting a smoky taste to fish. Fish slice used to life fish out of a container. Delicate cuts of fish are more manoeuvrable using this equipment. Lobster tongs and pick used to crack open lobster claws. The pick is used to extract flesh from the claws. Tweezers and pins used to extract pin bones. Pins are used to remove whelks out of their shell.

Nutritional Aspect
All seafood is rich in protein. All seafood is low in saturated fat. All seafood provides polyunsaturated fats including the precious Omega 3 fat. All seafood is relatively less in kilojoules. All fish are low in cholesterol All seafood is an excellent source of iodine. The mineral that modulates thyroid gland. Oysters and mussels have very high levels of iron, higher than the red meats.

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The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development Seafood is an excellent source of niacin (vitamin B3), needed for healthy skin and releasing ATP (Adenosine Tri-phosphate a high energy compound formed by synthesis of DNA molecules) Seafood is a good source of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12). Absent in vegetarian foods. Seafood also supplies Vitamins A,D and B1

Another increasingly reason why fish is becoming more popular these days is because of its presence of Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 is the oil present in fish bodies. It does not freeze. It has a (triglyceride) cholesterol lowering effect on the body. It prevents formation of blood clots and lowers the risk of heart disease drastically. It prevents clumping together of red blood cells. It also prevents fat deposition around walls of arteries (arteriosclerosis) and keeps them soft and pliable. The presence of oil is more pronounced in fish that inhabit the colder parts of seas.

Fish Products
Fish is available in many different forms, some of them are Smoked fish Buckling Eel Haddock Mackerel Salmon Trout Canned fish Anchovies Sardine Tuna Oil and essence Anchovy

Dried fish Roe Bacalhao Bombay Duck

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The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development Caviar Keta Lumpfish roe

Sauces Nam pla Worcester

Pastes Fish Shrimp

Pickled Kilka Kippers Rollmops

Popularity of seafood over other foods

Fish being available all over the world and in huge volume has given an impetus to a vast repertoire of fish dishes in different cuisines. The current trends suggest that people are giving up on robust meat dishes. Food that is naturally tender, easy to digest, yet flavoursome and nutritious is the order of the day. Fish is abundant in supply. Prices are now much affordable then before due to fish farming and cultivation. It takes less time to cook. Have beneficial effects on health. Can be prepared and served in a variety of ways. Can be converted to bi-products very easily. Easily assimilated across all strata of customers.

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The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development BIBLIOGRAPHY Book of Ingredients Philip Dowell and Adrian Bailey. Larousse gastronomique Paul Hamlyn Publications. Le Cordon Bleu Complete cooking techniques Chef Eric Treuille & Jeni Wright. OCLD Student handbook Chef Baranidharan P. Practical Cookery Ceserani, Kinton & Foskett. Tandoor - The great Indian Barbeque Ranjit Rai. The best of Asian Seafood Carol Selvarajah. The world book encyclopaedia of Fish & Shellfish Kate Whiteman.

Rahul Dhavale

KM 2002-04 F101 (B)