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The experts at our seafood counter will steam any shellfish purchase absolutely FREE!

Shrimp
Shrimp is an extremely versatile food, delicious whether eaten with cocktail sauce, tossed with pasta or sautéed with a bit of garlic. While some recipes call for shrimp to be cooked in their shell, others require peeling and deveining before cooking.

Here is an easy, step-by-step process:
Start by peeling the shell from the shrimp. If you use kitchen scissors to cut the shell from the head to the tail, it should peel right off. You can then remove the tail if you choose.

• The vein is the dark line running down the back of the shrimp.
• Using a paring knife, cut a shallow slit about 1/4 inch deep along the shrimp’s back curve - you should see the vein.
• You can then remove the vein by using your fingers or the tip of the knife.
• Rinse shrimp in cold water and pat dry before cooking.
• Peel legs and shell from raw shrimp.
• Leave tail intact or remove as well.
• Cut a shallow slit along back and remove vein with fingers or tip of the knife.
• Rinse in cold water and pat dry before cooking.
  Use this technique when making our Shrimp Tacos recipe.

Mussels
Working with mussels is really quite simple once you know what to do! At Big Y, we only sell farm-grown mussels. Not only are they easier to prepare because they are already free of muck and beards, but farm-grown mussels are actually
more ecologically sound.
Just a few steps will get you started:

• Mussels need to be alive when you cook them. If the shells are broken or open and don’t close when lightly tapped, discard.
• Give the shells a quick scrub with a stiff bristled brush to remove any barnacles or extra sand, and give them a quick rinse under cold water.
• Cook mussels immediately after cleaning; don’t let sit in cold water.
• Discard any broken or open shells.
• Wash mussels thoroughly, cook immediately.
  Now you are all set to make our Bouillabaisse recipe.

Lobster & Crab
Preparing recipes using succulent lobster or tasty crab doesn’t have to be complicated. While cooking these shellfish can seem like a specialized skill, it’s actually a very simple step-by-step process. With the right tools and techniques you’ll be able to dive into these shellfish with ease.

To boil lobsters and crab:

• Start with a large covered stockpot.
• Fill the pot with salt water (one cup salt to three quarts water) and bring the water to a boil.
• Once the water is boiling, drop the live lobsters or crab in and cover the pot.
• Bring the water back to a boil and cook until they turn bright red, which will usually take 10 to 12 minutes for lobsters and anywhere from 8 to 20 minutes for crabs.
  
  A note: When you remove lobsters or crab from the pot, they will be VERY hot and filled with hot water. Let them cool down for a couple of minutes before you start handling them!

Removing the Lobster Meat
Make sure you have a claw cracker (a nutcracker will work, too), lobster pick or slender fork and a dish for discards on hand.

• Remove the tail by gently twisting it off.
• Next, remove and discard the small flippers on the end of the tail.
• You can then remove the meat from the tail using your fork to pull it up
  and out. The portion of the lobster that looks like a vein is not edible, so discard before eating.
• Gently remove the claws by twisting them off. Use the cracker to open them and the fork to reach the delicate meat inside. You’ll find meat throughout, even in the smaller pieces that connect the claws to the body.
• Twist off each leg; there is a bit of meat inside each one that you can
  get out with your fork.
• With a sharp knife split lobster lengthwise.
• Carefully remove meat from body and tail.
• Open hinged claw and remove.
• Use cracker to remove any remaining leg meat.

Removing the Crab Meat
Make sure you have the right tools on hand. You’ll want a crab cracker (which looks a bit like a nutcracker — you can also use a nutcracker if need be), a crab pick, a knife and a bowl for discards.

• Start by pulling back and removing the claws and back. Set them aside. Then
  take out and discard the inedible parts around the edge of the crab.
• Next, you’ll want to remove and discard the crab’s organs, gills, cartilage
  and bones.
• Break the crab in half along the middle and remove the meat inside. There are plenty of hidden nooks inside, so don’t forget to check those for meat as well.
• Use your crab cracker to crack open the claws at the joints and remove the meat.
• Crack the legs with the crab cracker and remove the meat with the pick.
• Have crab crackers and lemon on hand.
• Break crab in half and pick out all the meat.

Once you have mastered this technique, try our Baked Flounder with Seafood Stuffing recipe.

Clams & Oysters
Cleaning and shucking clams and oysters take somewhat similar techniques. The key is to remove the meat from the shell with as much of it intact as possible. Just make sure to use either a dull knife or a knife specifically designed for the purpose.

Clams
Your clams should be fairly clean when you bring them home from the store and should only need a brief scrub under cold water before preparation. If they’re gritty, you can soak them in salt water (one cup salt to three quarts water) in a pot in the refrigerator.

• Put enough water in the pot to cover the clams and let them rest several hours or overnight.
• It will be much easier to open and shuck your clams if they are extremely cold. Put them in the freezer for 5 minutes before you begin and they’ll loosen a bit.
• Shuck clams over a bowl to catch any juice. You can reuse this for flavoring in cooking if desired.
• Hold the clam in the palm of your hand with the hinge side out. Insert a dull knife into the clam next to the hinge and slide it through to cut it. Then work the knife all the way around the clam to open the shell.
• After you have opened the shell, slide the knife between the clam and the top shell and discard; then do the same between the clam and the bottom shell.
• Discard both shells.
• Your clams are now ready to cook!
• Freeze clams for 5 minutes then insert knife tip into clam next to hinge to cut it.
• After opening shell, slide knife under top shell and discard. Repeat process with bottom shell and discard.

Oysters
Oysters should be tightly closed when you bring them home. Discard any that are opened before you begin your prep.

• Clean the oysters first using a stiff brush under cold running water.
• You’ll need an oyster knife or dull knife to open the shells. Don’t use a sharp knife as this could damage the oyster inside or break the shell, making the process more difficult.
• Insert the edge of the knife into the shell near the hinge. (There should be a small opening there.) Twist until the hinge gives, which will force the shell open.
• Using the knife, sever the oyster from the top shell and discard the shell. If there is any grit or broken shell inside, pick it out or rinse the oyster under cold running water to clean.
• Place the oysters shell side down in a bed of ice to serve and you’re done!
• Insert knife near hinge and twist until hinge gives.
• Sever oyster from top shell and discard.
• Loosen oyster from bottom shell. Serve on a bed of ice.

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©Copyright 2012, Big Y Foods, Inc., Springfield, MA, (413) 784.0600
Artwork is for display purposes only and does not necessarily reflect specific items. Not responsible for typographical errors.

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