Time For Something New - Big Y® World Class Market®

Seafood Cooking For the Pro
Shrimp, cod, mahi mahi, even old-fashioned fish and chips: Your family loves them all, and you’ve been preparing them with ease for some time. After years of working with fish and shellfish in your kitchen, you’ve reached a certain comfort level and seafood sits side by side with the other old standbys on your menu. But of course, you’re always looking for new ideas, new flavors and new techniques to try out, aren’t you? Why not put those well-honed seafood skills to good use, branch out a bit and set sail for uncharted waters. You’ll be amazed at what you discover.

Mussels with White Wine and Leeks

Mussel Fact
Mighty Mussels
Steamed mussels add a savory, flavorful component to any number of dishes — and, of course, they’re delicious when enjoyed on their own. How do you know if all of your mussels are good? After you’ve gone through and discarded any with broken shells and scrubbed them clean of their “beards,” you’ll have to cook them to make sure. Mussels should open when they are completely cooked and ready to eat. Any that don’t open readily are spoiled and shouldn’t be eaten. Mussels should be cooked quickly — within a few minutes — to make sure they’re at their most flavorful. Overcooked mussels will have a rubbery texture and not a whole lot of taste. After three minutes or so, if you have any doubt about your unopened mussels, throw them out.

Tuna Sushi Rolls

Sushi Tips
Sushi Simplicity
Getting the rice right is a bigger challenge than you might think. Perfect sushi rice is just moist enough, but not too sticky — overcook it, and you risk the chance of having rice paste. Be sure to purchase specialized sushi rice; it’s made with just the right combination of starches. Rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking and follow package directions closely. Make sure to keep your fingers moistened as you handle the rice to make working with it easier.

Don’t overdo it. Rolling becomes more difficult the more ingredients you stuff in, and it will become virtually impossible to create a shapely, neat roll if it’s overstuffed. Don’t be too stingy, but keep in mind that less is definitely more when it comes to sushi.

When you’re using the bamboo mat to roll your sushi, be sure to keep light, even pressure. Press too hard or unevenly and you will end up with an unattractive, lumpy mess.

Use a VERY sharp knife when slicing your roll, and keep it lightly moistened to help it cut through everything with ease.

Sushi Step by Step:
See recipe above for instructions on how to make the perfect sushi roll.
step 1
Spread Rice

step 2
Spread Wasabi

step 3
Top with Tuna and Avocado

step 4
Roll Up

step 5
Slice Rolls

Red Snapper with Pepper Tomato Sauce

Fish Tip
Whole Fish 101
Place the fish on a cutting board. Remove all fins using a pair of sharp, heavy scissors. Using a sharp, flexible knife, make a cut from the top to the bottom of the fish behind the gills, cutting down to the bone (but not through it) and follow around to the top of the head.

Next, cut on one side of the backbone right into the fish. Using the blade of the knife, feel for the central bone and keep it right on top of it as you move down the length of the fish (from head to tail).

Using your fingers, peel back
the meat so you can see the ribs beneath the backbone, keeping the knife on top of them. Turn fish over and repeat on the other side.

Lay the fillet, skin side down, on the cutting board. Using a pair of tweezers, remove any bones from the fillet. The bones should be raised through the meat. If you cannot see them, you can usually feel them by rubbing your fingers over the fillet.

After the bones are removed, remove the skin. Start with the tail end of the fish and hold the fillet with your thumb and forefinger. Make a 45-degree diagonal cut through the meat but not through the skin. When you reach the skin, run the knife parallel to the cutting board and run the knife across until the skin is removed. Turn the fish over and remove any remaining skin.

Lobster and Shrimp Bisque