Current Shareware 1994 January/SHAR194.ISO/homecook/seafoods.zip/SHELFISH

Text File | 1993-01-04 | 6KB | 104 lines

                               Shellfish

               Quite simply, shellfish are animals contained in a
          shell.  They have no fins, vertebrae or skull.  Their meat
          is tender because the muscles are soft.

               There are two types of shellfish:  mollusks and
          crustaceans.  Mollusks have a soft body which may be
          completely or partially enclosed in a shell.  Clams,
          mussels, scallops, and oysters are some examples of
          mollusks.  Crustaceans possess segmented, elongated bodies
          with crustlike shells.  Their eyes are mounted on stalks
          and their bodies may or may not be symmetrical.  Lobsters,
          crabs, and shrimp are some representatives of crustaceans.

               Since each shellfish has distinguishing
          characteristics, a brief description of each follows:

               Clams -- Clams abound on the Atlantic and Pacific
          coasts.  Hard, soft, and surf clams are found in the
          Atlantic.  Butter, littleneck, razor and piso clams are
          scattered along the floor of the Pacific.  Hard-shelled
          clams are called "quahog" in New England, where the word
          "clam" refers to the soft-shelled variety.  In the middle
          Atlantic states, "clam" means the hard clam.  Clam meat is
          orange in color and can be used in any recipe which calls
          for oysters.

               Crabs -- There are three common types of crabs.  The
          blue crab is found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
          Dungeness crabs inhabit the Pacific.  The king crab lives
          in the chilly waters off the Alaskan coast.  The stone
          crabs and the tanner crabs are not as well-known, but are
          becoming increasingly popular.  A common misconception
          concerns the soft-shelled crab.  They are not a separate
          species.  Soft- shelled crabs are blue crabs who have
          molted and the new shell has not had time to harden.

               Lobsters -- Northern lobster is found off the coasts
          of Maine and Massachusetts, while spiny or rock lobsters
          pick their way along the Florida and California coasts.
          Not only do lobsters vary in locale, but in general
          appearance as well.  Northern lobsters possess pincers
          while spiny lobsters don't.

               Mussels -- Mussels are found in fresh and salt-water,
          but only salt-water mussels are eaten.  A favorite in
          Europe, mussels do not enjoy the popularity of the other
          seafoods in the United States.

               Oysters -- There are three types of oysters.  The
          Eastern oysters are found or cultivated from Massachusetts
          to Texas along the East and Gulf coasts.  The Pacific and
          Western, or Olympia, oysters are found or cultivated along
          the West coast from Washington to Mexico.

               Periwinkles -- -Periwinkles are small snails found in
          fresh and salt-water in Europe and off the Eastern coast of
          North America.

               Prawns -- Prawns are found in temperate and tropical
          waters.  They resemble and are often mistaken for large
          shrimp.  Unlike shrimp, however, prawns do not possess a
          visible vein which requires cleaning.

               Scallops -- Scallops differ from other mollusks in
          that they are active swimmers.  By snapping its shell and
          spurting out a jet of water the scallop can move about.
          This novel form of locomotion causes the development of an
          over-sized muscle called the abductor muscle.  This is the
          only part of the scallop which is eaten by Americans.

               Sea and bay scallops are the most common types.  Sea
          scallops are taken from the North and Mid-Atlantic waters.
          They are generally larger than bay scallops which are found
          in the bays from New England to the Gulf of Mexico.
          Gaining in popularity in recent years are the calico
          scallops from Florida and the sea scallops from Alaska.
          Scallops may be substituted for shrimp in most recipes.

               Shrimp -- There are various species of shrimp.  Raw
          shrimp is distinguished by color.  The common or white
          shrimp is greenish- gray.  Brown or Brazilian shrimp is
          brownish-red.  Pink or coral shrimp is pink or coral.  When
          cooked, however, all shrimp turn pinkish-red in color.
          Shrimp are caught in the coastal waters of the United
          States, but the majority come from the Gulf of Mexico.

               Like finfish, shellfish are very nutritious.  They are
          particularly rich in the minerals calcium, phosphorous,
          iron, copper, magnesium, and iodine.  Although the amounts
          vary with the type of shellfish, vitamins A., B, and D are
          usually present.  Shellfish are also a good source of
          protein.

               Unlike finfish, which have varying fat contents, all
          shellfish are lean and low in salt.  This makes mollusks
          and crustaceans excellent choices for low calorie and low
          sodium diets.