SHELLFISH

Shellfish is a family of animals that include:

1. Molluscs

Clams, mussels, oysters and scallops are the most smoked shellfish. In bivalves such as clams, mussels, oysters, scallops the soft body parts are enclosed between two shells and a powerful muscle brings them together; hence, the word bivalve.

Conch, also known as abalone is a popular item in Caribbean area, especially Bahamas and Florida. The conch shell is probably the most popular shell in the world.

Limpet is a common name applied to a group of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs which have a simple broadly conical shell that, unlike the shell of most snails, is not coiled.

Cephalopods (squid and octopus) belong to moluscs as well.

2. Crustaceans

Crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles.

3. Echinoderms

Starfish, sea urchin, sand dollars, seabiscuits, sea cucumbers.

Shellfish contain significant amount of carbohydrates:

Mussels 3.69%

Oysters, eastern 2.72%

Oysters, eastern, farmed 5.53%

Scallops 3.18%

Squid 3.08%

Clams,

Protein-14.67%, Fat-0.96%, Water-78.98%

There is a great variety of clams that find the way to to the dinner table. Some, like beautiful Coquina (Donax) clams in West Florida are very small and are suitable for clam chowder soup only, others like Sand Clam (Spisula solidissima raveneli), Sunray Clam (Macrocallista nimbosa) or Quahog Clam (Mercenaria campachiensis) can be cooked or smoked.

The clams are abundant in most areas of the world. The Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula) is an exceptionally meaty shellfish which ranges from California to Alaska.

Cleaning clams

Make a weak brine solution (10°) – 1/3 cup of non-iodized salt (iodine will kill clams) to one gallon (3.8 liters) of water. Soak clams in the brine for 20 minutes. Pour the clams into a strainer, and rinse with cold water. Scrub thoroughly with a stiff brush. Place clams on the towel and rub them dry to remove any final grit.

Place cleaned clams into a double pot steamer or a large kettle. Add half a cup of water for every pound (453 g) of clams. Cover the kettle and apply high heat. Steam the clams until they open their shells.

Depending on the type of clams, this may take from 3 to 10 minutes. Remove the open clams and serve. Discard any unopened clams as they probably were already dead.

Shucking

Many people enjoy eating raw clams and oysters. If you are shucking your own, the shells will be easier to open if you freeze them for 10 to 15 minutes or place them in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Remove them from freezer and let sit a few minutes before further processing. As they warm up, the muscles relax and the shells will open slightly so you can get your clam knife in. You have to, however, be fast as the moment you pick them up they will start closing up. Insert the knife on either side and using the point cut as close to the shell as possible. This will detach the muscle from the shell. Now, the shell can be open with the fingers. Perform this operation over a bowl to save all that wonderful juice known as clam liquor.

Wooden skewer prevents the shell from closing.

Smoking Clams

Clean the clams.Steam the clams until they open.Brine for 3-5 minutes in 40° brine. (Add 1.0 lb of salt to 1 gallon of water. This makes 40 degrees brine).Drain and pat dry. Dip in oil. Drain.Preheat smokehouse to 100° F (38° C) and dry the clams without smoke for 30 minutes.Increase temperature to 180° F (82° C) and apply a heavy smoke for 30 minutes.

Mussels (Mytilus edulis)

Protein-11.90%, Fat-2.24%, Water-80.58%

The shell of the mussel is elongated and asymmetrical compared with clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval. The most popular is the Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis), also known as the common mussel. The shell is smooth, and blue-black in color; young mussels are sometimes yellowish-brown with blue-black bands. The mussel reaches marketable size after about three years’ growth, when it is two inches or more in length.

Mussels can be smoked, boiled, steamed, roasted, barbecued or fried in butter or vegetable oil. As with all shellfish, mussels should be checked to ensure they are still alive just before they are cooked; enzymes quickly break down the meat and make them unpalatable. Mussel shells usually open when cooked, revealing the cooked soft parts. Live mussels, when in the air, will shut tightly when disturbed. Open, unresponsive mussels are dead, and must be discarded. Most mussels are farmed and are less likely to have sand and grit in them, compared to wild mussels. If you gather your own or buy wild mussels, you need to get the grit out - they need to be soaked in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes, and then drained. For both types, scrub the mussels under cold, running water and remove the beards (the bristly material sticking out from one side) by pulling down toward the hinge of the shell and outward. If the mussel shell is slightly open, tap it with a knife to see if it closes. If it does not close, discard it- the mussel is dead.

Cooking Mussels

Wash and steam mussels in a little water in a covered kettle for about 5 minutes. Cool the mussels quickly by water spray to prevent toughening of the meat. The classic method for cooking mussels is steaming them. Mussels contain a small amount of liquid/moisture, so steaming doesn’t require the addition of any extra liquid. But typically a small amount of liquid (water, stock, wine, beer) can be added to a hot pan before adding your mussels. Cover tightly with a lid and steam for 5 minutes. The mussels should open between 5 and 7 minutes. Once open, they’re cooked and ready to eat. Mussels that don’t open should be discarded - they’re dead. The meats are removed from the now open shells, usually by hand, and the beard or byssus pulled out. Wash the meats in clean fresh water, but do not leave them soaking in water or they will lose flavour and appear less attractive.

Smoking Mussels

Steam the mussels until they open.Brine for 3-5 minutes in 50º brine. (Add 1.26 lbs of salt to 1 gallon of water. This makes 50 degrees brine).Drain and pat dry. Brush or dip shrimp in oil and spread on wire screens. Preheat smokehouse to 100° F (38° C) and dry the mussels without smoke for 25 minutes.Increase temperature to 180° F (82° C) and apply a heavy smoke for 30 minutes.

Oyster, Eastern,

Protein-5.71%, Fat-1.71%, Water-89.04%

Oyster, Eastern, farmed,

Protein-5.22%, Fat-1.55%, Water-86.20%

Oyster, Pacific,

Protein-9.45%, Fat-2.30%, Water-82.06%

Oysters are distributed world wide and can weigh from 35 to 100 g.

English - grow in cold water (Ostrea edulis)

Portuguese - grow in warm water (Crassostrea angulata)

Pacific - grow in warm water (Crassostrea gigas)

Olympia oysters (Pacific) - (Ostrea conchaphila)

Oysters can survive out of water for weeks if carefully handled and kept moist and cool. They should be carried and stored with the cupped half of the shell downwards, and kept moist by covering with a damp cloth. Oysters should be refrigerated out of water, not frozen, and in 100% humidity. Oysters stored in water under refrigeration will open, consume available oxygen, and die. Oysters must be eaten alive, or cooked alive. Oysters can be eaten on the half shell, raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, or broiled, or used in a variety of drinks. Eating can be as simple as opening the shell and eating the contents, including juice. The shells of live oysters are normally tightly closed or snap shut given a slight tap. Open oysters should be tapped on the shell; a live oyster will close up and is safe to eat. Oysters which are open and unresponsive are dead and must be discarded. Cooking oysters in the shell kills the oysters and causes them to open by themselves.

Shucking (Opening)

Oyster lovers insist that the only way to enjoy them is raw, with lemon juice, vinegar, or cocktail sauce. This, of course, eliminates cooking them. Refrigerate oysters for 1 hour to help them relax. Relaxing the muscles to shuck oysters is faster if you place them in a freezer for about 15 minutes.

At first look, opening an oyster may look difficult, but it is quite easy due to a little gap between the halves in the back by the hinge (see the arrow).

Take a pointed oyster knife in one hand and thick towel or glove in the other. With towel, grip shell in palm of hand. Keeping oyster level with knife, insert the tip of a short bladed oyster knife between shell halves next to the hinge.

Twist the knife to break the hinge and to pry the shell apart. The knife is then used to sever the adductor muscle at its point of attachment to first the flat half of the shell, then the cupped half. Discard the top shell. Cut the muscle from the lower shell, being careful not to spill oyster liquor if the oyster is to be eaten raw.

Cut the muscle from the lower shell, being careful not to spill oyster liquor if the oyster is to be eaten raw.

If live oysters are to be used in a cooked dish, rather than for eating raw, you can steam them just until the shells open. Then cut them from the shells and proceed.

Smoked Oysters

Handling oyster muscle is difficult as the oysters contain around 90% of water. They are soft and slippery and easily tear apart. For these reasons it is advantageous to firm them up by brief cooking:Steam oyster shells for 20 minutes, then remove the oyster muscles.Brine oysters for 3-5 minutes in 40° brine. (Add 1.0 lbs of salt to 1 gallon of water. This makes 40 degrees brine).Drain and pat dry.Dip in oil. Drain. Place on wire mesh screen.Preheat smokehouse to 100-120° F (38-49° C) and dry the oysters without smoke for 60 minutes.Increase temperature to 180° F (82° C) and apply a heavy smoke for 30 minutes.

A considerable proportion of the total production of oysters in Britain consists of misshapen native oysters or of Portuguese oysters that do not command the high price of quality natives. In America these second grade shellfish are frequently smoked and packed in oil to make a popular delicatessen product. The oysters which should first be cleansed to ensure that there is no risk of food poisoning from them, are steamed in a cooker for 20 to 30 minutes. The meats are then picked and brined in a 50° brine for 5 minutes. (Add 1.26 lbs of salt to 1 gallon of water. This makes 50 degrees brine).

They are quickly dipped in oil and spread on wire mesh trays. They are smoked for 30 minutes in a dense smoke at 180° F (82° C), the kiln being raised to this temperature before smoking begins. During the smoking, the oysters should be turned over, to ensure uniform smoking. The smoked meats are packed in small jars, covered with good quality edible oil, and the jars sterilized at 15 lb pressure for 15 minutes.

Scallops,

Protein-12.06%, Fat-0.49%, Water-82.53%

Scallops are characterized by having two types of meat in one shell: the adductor muscle, called “scallop”, which is white and meaty, and the roe, called “coral”, which is red or white and soft. Outside the U.S., the scallop is often sold whole. In the UK and Australia, they are available both with and without the roe. The roe is also usually eaten. The energy corporation Royal Dutch Shell scallop shell logo is displayed on every gasoline station. The largest wild scallop fishery is for the Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) found off northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Most of the rest of the world’s production of scallops is from Japan (wild, enhanced, and aquaculture), and China (mostly cultured Atlantic bay scallops).

Scallops are always sold pre-shucked from the shell. They cannot be kept live, because they must scoot around in the water to live.

Processing Your Own CatchTurn the scallop so that the darker side of the shelled scallop is facing upwards.Take a knife or sharpened spoon and insert it between the top and bottom halves of the shell.Force the shell open. Cut away the scallop’s muscle in the top half of the shell and throw the top half of the shell away.Clean the inside of the scallop shell of everything but the white muscle.Detach the muscle from the shell.Rinse the scallop under cold water.

Use herbs, spices, and sauces sparingly so as not to overpower the delicate flavor of the scallops. If you are using them in a chowder, add them last and cook only until they turn white. Large sea scallops will take 3 to 5 minutes in a hot skillet to saute, while the smaller bay scallops will take only 1 to 2 minutes. Overcooking scallops makes them tough and rubbery.

Smoked Scallops

Brine scallops for 3-5 minutes in 40º brine. (Add 1.0 lb of salt to 1 gallon of water. This makes 40 degrees brine).Drain and pat dry. Dip in oil. Drain.Preheat smokehouse to 120° F (49° C) and dry the scallops without smoke for 30 minutes.Increase temperature to 180° F (82° C) and apply a heavy smoke for 30 - 45 minutes.

Shrimp

Shrimp are swimming crustaceans with long narrow muscular abdomens and long antennae. Unlike crabs and lobsters, shrimp are more adapted for swimming than walking. They look somewhat like small lobsters, but not like crabs. There are thousands of species, but only a few types are sold commercially. More shrimp are farmed today than harvested in the wild.

The most widely cultured species in the world are:

Giant shrimp, (Penaeus monodon), typically 25–30 cm (10–12 in) long, 200–320 g (7–11 oz).

Whiteleg shrimp, (Litopenaeus vannamei), 23 cm (9.1 in).

Smoking the delicate shrimp presents a problem as they are cooked within minutes. Put shrimp in boiling water 212° F (100° C) and they’ll be done in about 3 minutes. If they are overcooked, they’ll have a rubbery texture. Heat transfer in air is much slower than in water so the cooking time in a smokehouse must be extended. Smoking shrimp for 10 minutes in preheated to 212° F (100° C) smokehouse will cook them.

Note: if your smokehouse can maintain the temperature of 180° F (82° C) use the hot smoking method, otherwise boil the shrimp and cold smoke.

Hot Smoked Shrimp

Peel shrimp.Brine shrimp for 3 minutes in 50º brine. (Add 1.26 lbs of salt to 1 gallon of water. This makes 50 degrees brine).Drain and pat dry.Dip in oil. Drain. Place on a wire screen.Preheat smokehouse to 100° F (38° C) and dry the shrimp without smoke for 30 minutes.Increase temperature to 180° F (82° C) and apply a heavy smoke for 30 minutes.

Cold Smoked Shrimp

Peel shrimpBoil for 3 minutes, depending on a size, in a 40º brine (10 per cent salt solution), (add 1.0 lb of salt to 1 gallon of water. This makes 40 degrees brine).Drain and dry for 1 hour.Brush or dip shrimp in oil and spread on wire screens.Smoke for 60 minutes at 85° F (30° C).

Lobster

Note: if your smokehouse can maintain the temperature of 180° F (82° C) use the hot smoking method, otherwise boil the lobster tails and apply cold/warm smoke.

Hot Smoking

Using scissors cut the shell open and remove meat.Brine for 5 minutes in a 40º brine (10 per cent salt solution). (Add 1.0 lb of salt to 1 gallon of water. This makes 40 degrees brine). Drain.Dry for 30 minutes in a smokehouse preheated to 120° F (49° C), (no smoke applied).Increase temperature to 180° F (82° C) and apply a heavy smoke for 30 minutes.

Cold/Warm Smoking

Boil lobster tail in 5° brine (1 Tbsp salt per quart of water) until they turn red. Depending on a size it may take from 5-8 minutes).Using scissors cut the shell open and remove meat.Cool in cold water. Drain.Dry for 30 minutes at about 120° F (49° C) smokehouse (no smoke applied).Smoke with cold/warm smoke for 30 minutes.

Squid,

Protein-15.58%, Fat-1.38%, Water-78.55%

Biologically, squid belong to the class of mollusks known as cephalopods, which also include octopus. Squid found along Washington’s coast, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound are called Pacific squid, opalescent, or-most commonly-market squid (Loligo opalescens). Adult market squid found in inside waters average about eight inches (mantle plus tentacles). The Humboldt species of squid is usually found off the coasts of central and South America but has extended its range to the north, mainly during the late summer and early fall months when the water temperatures are at their highest.

Smoked Squid

Remove head, viscera and tendons from body. Cut off fins. Wash with freshwater. Soak fish for 10-20 min in hot water 122-131° F (50-55° C), with agitation, to remove skin. Wash and boil at 176-194° F (80-90° C) for 2-3 minutes. For 3.75 kg (8.25 lb) boiled squid, mix 200-250 g salt, 750-940 g sugar. 37 g sodium glutamate, and 3.7 g sodium 5-ribonucleotide. Season by sprinkling with seasoning materials, pile in 2-3 layers on a table, and apply light pressure on the squid. Hang the squid in smokehouse and smoke at 68-77° F (20-25° C) for the first 1-2 hours, at 122-140° F (50-60° C) for 4 hours, and at 140-158° F (60-70° C) for the final 2-3 hours. Cut smoked squid into rings, 1-2 mm wide. Mix 357 g sugar, 100-110 g salt, 3.7 g sodium glutamate, 0.4 g sodium 5-ribonucleotide, and 500 ml water and sprinkle on smoked squid. Dry the surfaces in a dryer.